By Dawn's Early Light
by WhisperingWolf
Summary: Following along with events from Roses in Winter after Ch. 61, this is the story of Renata and Giuseppe and how they fell in love. Can be read as a stand alone story or as a companion to Roses in Winter.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The room was large, polished hardwood interspersed with thick soft rugs made from animal furs and things that looked like animal furs. The fireplace sat across from the foot of the bed with enough space in between to put another bed or at least give enough room for two people to enjoy the softness of the rugs as they took pleasure from each other. To the left of the bed was a large bay window, spotless glass stretching from floor to ceiling and so perfect that it looked as though there was nothing separating the room from the outside world. The full moon took advantage of the glass wall, its light falling inside to cast the room in bluish shadows as the sound of the waves crashing against the shore far below offered its music in accompaniment.

Satin sheets the color of red wine were rumpled upon the bed, the folds set in such a haphazard manner as to make bits of the fabric look black in the resulting shadows. One leg stuck out from the bottom, the foot large and calf well muscled with a sprinkling of midnight hair that was just enough to offer it a masculine edge without making the man look like an animal. The thundering sound of the woman's heartbeat made the man laugh, his voice rich and smooth, a tenor-baritone that was honeyed-molasses over the grains of brown sugar.

She turned toward him, her green eyes sparkling and reminding him of the sea below as she panted and trembled in the aftershocks of her orgasm. He touched her pale cheek, his large palm and long fingers framing her face and combing into the gentle waves of her hair. His crimson eyes glowed softly in the light of the moon and he tipped closer to kiss her damp brow. He loved her, as he had each of the women he had spent his time with over his many centuries, but she wasn't his true mate and they both knew that. It was hard to imagine that they had been together almost two years now, the longest relationship he had ever had with a human.

"Not that I'm complaining," he teased her with a crooked smile. "But you're not usually that…generous when we make love."

"Generous?!" she laughed and lightly slapped his chest, his usually icy skin warmed by their lovemaking. "Are you telling me that I don't give as good as I get?" she teased back, the soft tones of her American Southern accent making his body respond in delicious ways.

"Oh, you always give, Mira," he laughed, "but that?" His eyes were wide, his smile brilliant and full of lustful humor. "I never knew you could do _that_."

She rolled her eyes and laughed as she scooted closer to him, resting her cheek on his muscled bicep and breathing in deeply of his sweet scent. Things were changing; she knew that as well as he did. She had come to Italy three years ago on a student visa and had stayed well beyond its expiration. Her art had won her a scholarship, but this man had shown her the truth in beauty. She had never believed in the paranormal before meeting him, having always tucked thoughts of vampires and werewolves away into the shadowed corners of horror movies and steamy romance novels.

"Yes, well you can thank a few smut novelists for that," she grinned as she began to grow tired, her body relaxing as he reached down and pulled the forgotten blanket from the floor over them when she shivered. "I read that particular move in a book and wanted to try it out. Consider yourself an experiment."

He chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Dear, sweet Mirabella, you can experiment like that on me anytime you like." He kissed her brow as her eyes began to blink slower. "Go to sleep, love. I'll be right here," he promised, tucking the warmth of the blanket around her back before wrapping her in arms.

"My Giuseppe," she sighed happily and tucked her face into the curve of his arm and shoulder as she gave into the sleep tugging at her.

He looked down upon her sleeping face with affection, his crimson eyes hooded and smiling. He had been in relationships with his own kind several times before, but there was nothing quite as comforting as being with a human. The warmth of their flesh, the taste of their arousal, the thundering sound of their heartbeat that changed with each emotion, there was just something intangible and soothing about being with them. This was one of his favorite things though, the aftermath of lovemaking when he was able to lie still and hold his lover while she slept. There had been no such stillness with his vampire lovers, they had each wanted to go again right after or were off to do something else once the act of sex had been completed.

Mirabella, his lips pulled up to the side as he smoothed his hand over her tousled hair. Mirabella loved to cuddle, to lay wrapped in his arms or sit with him in front of the fire and do absolutely nothing else. She loved to be held by him, to lie back on the settee in his studio and watch him turn lengths of fabric into gowns and suits and any number of other designs. He would never forget how they met, the red-gold light of the setting sun casting all of the natural highlights of her auburn hair, from the palest of blondes to the darkest of browns, into a dizzying array of colors. He had been powerless to look away from her and when she turned her eyes on him, the twin emerald jewels sparkling like the Naples Sea that surrounded his Cliffside home, he was lost.

Her pale cheeks had been flush with a slight burn from the sun, her soft North Carolina accent endearing him and somehow making the limited Italian she tried to speak sound that much more beautiful. He had surprised her with his fluent English, her delight at his voice and the barely there accent making her ask if he truly was from Italy. She had made him laugh often that day, her sweet innocence and artistic view of the world flowing over him like fine wine and he soaked up every drop. For two years she had been his and when her student visa ran out he sponsored her as his assistant with a work visa.

Giuseppe's smile fell slightly, becoming softer and somehow sad as he looked down on the American woman sleeping in his arms. It had been a beautiful two years, a wonderful time spent with her, so why did he feel as though it was ending? He petted her hair, smoothed the unruly strands back from her face and kissed her cheek. There were no secrets between them, she knew what he was and he had promised that she would always have his protection even if they weren't always together. Something was changing though and while it didn't feel bad necessarily, he thought, it did feel like an ending.

"_Giuseppe, we both know that while we have amazing chemistry and love to be with each other, you and I are not meant to spend eternity together. There is someone out there who was made just for you and you will find her."_

His brow furrowed as her words from the night before flowed through his mind and he tucked her closer as he tightened his arms around her carefully. She was leaving him, wasn't she? Or at the very least she was thinking about it. He was an anomaly, he always had been. At least that was what his immortal mother had told him. He loved people deeply, no matter if they were humans or vampires. His heart was open and welcoming and even after almost fifteen hundred years of being what he was, he wasn't able to harden his heart. Just because she wasn't his true mate didn't mean that he didn't love her. Resting his cheek on her brow, he held her and closed his eyes as he allowed the blissful stillness to overtake him.

It was nearly two hours later that the ringing of her cell phone disturbed the peaceful quiet and Giuseppe carefully extracted himself from her arms. He moved to their clothes scattered on the floor by the end of the bed and grabbed her jeans from under his; freeing her cell phone from the denim pocket it was tucked into. He turned toward the bed, certain the sound had woken her only to find Mirabella still blissfully asleep and looked back down at the phone. The number that was calling was American, the area code showing being from that of her home town and he answered the call as a sense of dread washed through him.

"This is Giuseppe," he answered the woman before she could go much farther with her greeting. "Mirabella's sleeping right now. I can wake her of course," he offered keeping his voice low.

"No, that's alright," she said and he frowned as he thought her voice to sound familiar. "My name is Veronica, I'm Mirabella's sister. I was just calling to see if she had made all the flight arrangements yet. She told me she would call with the flight numbers, but that was almost a week ago."

"Flight numbers?" he asked, his voice heavy with the confusion that furrowed his brow.

"She didn't tell you?" Veronica asked and then sighed with a touch of humor. "I'm not surprised. It's not like her to say anything about the _big_ things. We didn't even find out that she had gotten a full scholarship to the university in Rome until someone from the college called to confirm her travel information."

"I'm sorry," he interrupted her before she could speak any further. "What's going on? Where is Mira traveling to?"

"She's coming home, at least for a little while," the woman answered him, her voice heavy. "Mama…I don't know if she ever told you, but our mother's been fighting a losing battle with breast cancer. It metastasized into the bone. The doctors say she doesn't have much time left."

"_Steel Magnolias_," he spoke the thought aloud as he looked upon his sleeping love with sadness and compassion.

"She's been watching that a lot?" she asked and made a thoughtful sound. "It's kind of her go-to sad movie. It always makes her cry so when she's already sad she doesn't have to explain anything."

"I'll have her call you as soon as she wakes up," he promised. "I should go."

"Ok, I know it's rather late there. She loves you, you know," Veronica told him. "She may not say it out loud, but she does."

The phone grew silent then and he brought the device down from his ear. He had known that something was off and had been for almost two weeks now, but the things he had been noticing were small and rather insignificant. Setting the phone down on the bedside table, he slipped back under the blankets beside her and pulled her delicate human body against his, selfishly enjoying her warmth. Kissing her hair, he breathed in deeply of her scent and memorized it. She wouldn't be coming back, not to be with him at least. This was her goodbye and he knew it without anyone having to tell him.

"Oh, Mira," he whispered to her as she slept and brushed his fingers against her cheek. "You will always have me, if not as a lover than as a friend."

"Giuseppe," she whispered his name and he met her eyes, the sea-green depths blurred with sleep. "What's wrong? You look sad."

"We can talk in the morning," he promised her, ignoring the fact that it was already morning, the clouds outside coloring with the rising sun. "You need your rest."

"Tell me?" she asked, her fingers fanning over the strong line of his jaw and he smiled softly.

"Your sister called," he said and saw in her eyes the she knew immediately what he meant with his few words. "You never said anything."

"What was there to say?" she asked quietly with a shrug.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked and smiled sadly when she pressed closer to him, cuddling against his chest. "No, I didn't think so."

"It has nothing to do with you, I'm just…I'm not so good with that kind of thing. Not a big fan of the serious stuff," she said and he chuckled softly.

"Believe me, I know," he teased her and laughed when she slapped his chest lightly. "Have you thought more about what we talked about on your birthday?" he asked when he realized she wouldn't be returning to sleep.

She nodded quietly. "I want a year. Just a year to travel the world and do all the things that I would want to do while still human, then…" she looked up at him and smiled. "Then I would be happy to paint forever."

"A year," he nodded and kissed her nose. "I think I'm going to adjust the timetable," he informed her and she frowned in confusion. "Eighteen months. You're going to need time to grieve your mother and be with your family. Spend some time with them."

She shook her head as tears filled her eyes and raised both hands to cup his face. She kissed him deeply, passionately, telling him how much his offer meant to her. He smiled into the kiss, holding her close as he returned the intimate gesture before pulling back. He kissed her nose and then her forehead, telling her that she still needed sleep as he felt the day ahead of her would be a long one. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his chest.

"Go to sleep for me, Mira," he implored her softly and kissed her hair before he began to sing her favorite aria.

"You spoil me," she whispered as he sang, her eyes falling closed as she gave into the dreamy comforts of his voice.

"Only because you deserve it," he whispered moments later after he had finished the operatic solo.

**:::::**

"Are you sure?" Mirabella asked as she stepped out of the closet, her arms loaded with her clothing.

"He's fine, Mira," Giuseppe chuckled and looked back at the Bernese Mountain dog sleeping in front of the cold fireplace. "Sergeant is good company."

"You won't let any of them eat him?" she asked and he stared at her silently for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing.

"Oh Mira," he chuckled her name as he stepped around the suitcase to kiss her chastely. "I will miss you. You're things are fine here," he told her nodding to her paints and easel sitting by the window. "Besides, you will be coming back in due time."

"I will be, I promise," she told him, her gaze holding his and he smiled.

"I know you will be. But you must promise me something," he told her and watched as she tipped her head curiously. "If you are ever in any trouble or feel afraid, I want you to call me. Even if you believe it to be nothing more than a feeling, you will call me," he told her seriously and she nodded.

"Giuseppe, what's wrong?" she asked him as she sensed his underlying concern. "You have that look again."

"What look?" he asked and tried to deflect her worry with a crooked grin.

"The one that says you think I'm in danger. Tell me what's going on," she demanded gently and he sighed as he turned and sat down on the bed.

"Promise me you'll wait till I'm done and try not to freak out?" he asked as he pulled her down to sit in his lap. "Ok," he said when she nodded silently and draped her arm over his shoulders, behind his neck. "We have our laws as I've explained them to you, but there are some who may fear you know too much and may think that I'm letting you go. If anyone comes after you, I'd never be able to forgive myself. So at anytime, for any reason – even if you think you're being silly, call me. If you get the feeling that someone's following you, watching you, or you just think that things are not how you left them," he eyed her pointedly and grinned. "Yes, I know you think it would be fabulous to spend a few nights in a haunted hotel, I want you to call me."

She smiled and kissed his lips. "You're not a vampire, you're a gentleman."

"I can't be both?" he asked her and she laughed.

"Not according to Anne Rice," she teased.

"Fuck Anne Rise," he said and she smiled.

"Isn't she a little old for you?" Mirabella laughed and he winked at her.

"Mmm, well considering my age…"

"Your age doesn't count," she told him with a slight push to his shoulder. "I don't want to go," she said softly a moment later, her jovial spirits having fallen as tears filled her eyes. "Going means saying goodbye and I can't. I just can't."

The tears spilled over her cheeks as she took in one trembling breath after another and Giuseppe wrapped her in his arms. He petted her hair as she buried her face in the curve of his throat. He mourned her pain, the feeling of her trembling in his arms bringing out his protective nature and he growled low, the sound and vibrations of his quiet rumbles soothing her as they always had. She was the only one of his human lovers to respond to him in such a manner and he loved her for it all the more. He could move around in front of her without having to worry about acting human because his vampire nature never frightened her.

"Mira, sweet Mira, it will be alright," he promised her softly, his voice turned rough by his quiet growls. "Think of it like this, my love. She will no longer be in pain, she won't be sick anymore or feel weak," he turned his head and kissed her temple. "As clichéd as it sounds, she truly will be in a better place."

"You believe in heaven?" she asked, sniffling as she leaned back to look at him.

"How can I not?" he asked with a gentle smile. "For all its faults and many downsides, this world is a beautiful place. Perhaps science has found a way to explain the birth of the universe, but what of before that? Someone had to create all that came before. I may not believe in the religion as much as humans do, but I still believe there is some higher power out there. There has to be."

She frowned at him, pulling back as she stared at him through narrowed eyes. "You're not going to turn into a pumpkin on me, are you? Or a frog?" she asked and he blinked at her in silent confusion.

"A pumpkin or a frog?" he repeated as he tried to understand what she was talking about.

She blushed and shrugged. "Well, I always knew you were too good to be true, but now, with this?"

"I'm not a fairytale!" he laughed as he finally understood what she was talking about. "My beautiful, sweet, _silly_ Mira," he kissed her lips chastely. "I love you. You will always have a place with me. I want you to remember that," he told her as he cupped her face in his hands. "No matter if we are ever lovers again or not, I will always be there for you."

"I love you," she whispered around her tears and he smiled.

"I know," he kissed her lips sweetly. "We shouldn't keep your family waiting."

"I'll need to buy a ticket and then…"

"Mira," he interrupted her with a chuckle. "I promised you I'd be taking care of everything, remember?" he said and she frowned as she nodded. "Paolo is waiting for us; he'll be flying you home."

"Flying me…your jet?" she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, my jet," he kept his hands around her trim waist as she stood from his lap, making certain she had her balance before releasing her. "I don't want you to have to worry about anything, least of all running to catch a connecting flight."

Tears gathered in her eyes once more as she stared at him silently. Her lips curved up in a wistful, disbelieving smile and she stepped closer to him to stand between his knees. She framed his face with her hands, her fingertips gliding over his cold skin, and she traced the smooth contours of his skin as she committed every curve and hollow to memory. Bending down to kiss him, her hair fell around them like a curtain and Giuseppe pulled her closer with his hands gripping her hips gently. Her lips moved against his as she tasted his kiss, her tongue peeking out to brush against the seam of his mouth and he groaned as he pulled her closer. He opened his mouth to her, inviting her tongue into play and pulled back only when she had run out of air to breathe. He chuckled when she began unbuttoning his shirt and captured her wrists gently to still her movements. Reaching up with one hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I love you too," he whispered and stood from his seat on the bed. "We mustn't keep Paolo waiting though," he told her softly, his eyes teasing her.

Mirabella was quiet as she followed him through the mansion and down to the car waiting for them outside. She would miss this place, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below. She would miss the ocean air and painting by the Naples moonlight. She turned at the sound of Sergeant's barking, laughing through her tears as she bent down to hug the dog that had become family to her. It still amused her that it had been Giuseppe who brought him home almost eighteen months ago. He had been a puppy then, with huge paws that made him clumsy, but Giuseppe had insisted that she needed the pet.

"I'm gonna miss you, big fella," Mirabella whispered as she hugged the dog and laughed when he lapped at her face with his big pink tongue.

"Sarge!" Giuseppe commanded the dog's attention. "Car," he smiled and pointed to the black sedan waiting for them, the human driver behind the wheel.

"Thank you," she said with a soggy laugh, standing as she watched Sergeant run toward the car and dive in through the open door.

"He'll be safe, Mira," he promised her as he climbed into the backseat beside her and closed them inside. "I promise you he'll be safe."

"I know," she spoke softly, smiling as she looked down at the dog's large head that lay in her lap. "I'm just going to miss everything here, you know."

"You will always have us to come back to," he assured her once again, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. "It's at least an hour to the airstrip. Try and rest some," he encouraged her. "You didn't sleep well at all last night."

"You'll find her," she said as she turned her head to meet his gaze. "When you least expect it. That's how it always happens, isn't it? But you will find her."

"And you will find your prince," he told her with a crooked grin. "Rest now, love. Get a little sleep at least."

She smiled softly, cuddling against him and resting her head on his shoulder. She sighed happily when he began playing with her hair, his fingers gently flipping and combing through her silken locks. It wasn't long before his gentle petting soothed her to sleep. He kissed her head when he heard her heart fall into the slow steady rhythm of sleep and turned his head to rest his cheek against her hair. Of all the lovers he had courted throughout his immortal existence, Mira was his favorite. There was something about her that had always felt familiar and comfortable, though he had to admit the transition for them both from lovers to friends had been simple and easy. He was glad for that, grateful that he was able to keep her in his life and happy that she had agreed to becoming a vampire.

She was the only human lover he had ever offered it to and he had loved it when she told him it had felt right to accept. His other human lovers in the past had met different fates, some darker than others, but Mira was special. She was the only human lover that he had even thought to introduce to Elizabeth and he had been both pleased and surprised that his immortal mother had approved of her. His expression turned into one of longing as he wondered where she was and what she was doing. She had never been one to settle down or stay in one place for longer than a few months and it had been almost a year since the last time he had seen her.

"Giuseppe," Mirabella's voice was soft when she spoke, her tone relaxed even as sorrow seemed to color the edges.

"Yes, my love?" he petted her hair as he held her.

"Do you promise you won't change your mind?" she asked after a long moment of silence, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't know that I can do this if you're not…" she trailed off as tears filled her vision, the scent of salt catching his attention.

"Oh Mira," he moved her to sit in his lap and tucked her head beneath his chin as he held her. "You will always have me. _Always_. Whether or not I am with someone else, I will always be there for you. As a friend and as a guide through your new life."

"I'm just so scared," she admitted and sniffled as his arms tightened around her. "Mama was always so tough, you know? Nothing could bring her down and now she's…I feel like when I go home that…"

"That what, Mira?" he prodded gently when she remained quiet.

"I'm scared that I'm going to wake up in Hilton Head and all of this will just be a dream," she confessed to him, her voice trembling.

Giuseppe cupped her face in his hands, smoothing away her slow falling tears with the pads of his thumbs. Her sea-green eyes told of the other fear she wouldn't speak aloud, the one he had seen haunting her before. Pressing his lips to hers, he kissed her gently, his mouth moving against hers slowly. He promised her that she wouldn't be alone, his kiss speaking in a language that her heart would understand. Pulling back and smoothing her hair from her face, he rested his forehead against hers.

"You'll never be alone, Mira. Never," he tipped his head to capture her lips in sweet chaste kiss. "Call me as soon as you land in Hilton and I'll talk with you for as long as you like."

"You're too good to me," she whispered reverently.

"No such thing," he promised with a smile.

**:::::**

The car slowed to a stop, the private jet looming in the distance like some kind of fairytale dragon come to steal her away and Mirabella remained silent as she stared at it. The driver came around to Giuseppe's door, opening it for them and waiting as Mirabella slipped off of Giuseppe's lap and out of the car. She stood on the blacktop, her eyes fixed on the aircraft as a part of her still demanded that she hideaway in the car and refuse to go any further. She couldn't hide though, she had responsibilities. There were people counting on her and things she needed to take care of before she could begin her new life with Giuseppe.

She looked back and smiled when Sergeant came up to her and nudged his big head under her hand. Sniffing back her tears as she scratched the dog behind his ear, she walked with him toward the trunk of the car and watched Giuseppe unload her bags. She stepped forward, reaching to help him and wasn't surprised in the least when he smiled and shook his head. How many times had he been the gentleman? It would be so different to be without him now. There wouldn't be anyone in Hilton Head to hold her at night and play with her hair until she fell asleep. No one would walk next to her with their hand in the small of her back and open doors for her. She wasn't sure that she knew how to be without him anymore.

"You'll be alright, Mira," he promised her softly and nodded for her to walk with him. "You'll see, in no time at all you'll be back with me and beginning your new life."

"Even if I'm just lonely?" she asked and he smiled as he knew immediately to what she was asking.

"Especially if you're lonely," he encouraged with a smile. "You have your iPad and your computer. You can call me on the phone or by video chat. You know the time of day means nothing to me. I'll always be awake," he teased and nodded to the human man on the plane as he took the bags from him.

"I really have to go, don't I?" she asked softly and he nodded.

He held her hand as she took the first tentative steps toward the folding staircase door and lifted her foot to the first stair. Looking back at him quietly, she smiled sadly and released his hand before climbing the rest of the way up the stairs and into the plane. He stood back, watching as she made her way to the small window and raised his hand to wave goodbye as the staircase was lifted up and folded inside. The sound of the door latching was thunderous to him and he moved further back with Sergeant at his side when the engines began to turn.

Watching as the jet taxied down the runway, he stood by his car and kept his eyes on the plane until it had lifted off the ground. He waved once more, wondering if she could see him from the window and bid her farewell. He knew this would be tough on her, losing her mother and having to find a way to make it clear to her human family that they may never see her again. In a year and a half's time she would be returning to him and beginning her new life as an immortal. He knew that she would be glorious, he had no doubt of that and looked down to the dog at his side.

"I know Sarge," he said and petted the dog's head when the animal whimpered. "I'm going to miss her, too."

Sergeant barked; his feathered tail wagging and trotted back to the car. Grinning as he watched the dog move, Giuseppe followed him to the vehicle and slipped inside the back seat, pulling the door closed behind him. Chuckling softly when Sergeant moved to lay his head and front paws in his lap, Giuseppe hugged the dog close and ruffled his thick black and brown coat. Closing his eyes when he was answered with a thorough cleansing of the dog's tongue, he laughed and wiped his hand over his face.

"Oh hold on boy," he said when his phone began to ring and moved the dog enough to slip the device from his pocket. "Bonjourno."

"Giuseppe! I am glad to have caught you," came the warm greeting and he took the phone away from his face to check the caller ID.

"Aro?" he questioned the man's tone. "It's been almost three decades."

"So it has," Aro returned. "Tell me, Giuseppe, do you still have Carlisle's suit?"

He sat quietly for a moment, nodding his thanks when the driver, pulled onto the highway and raised the privacy screen.

"Carlisle _Cullen's_ suit?" he asked to be certain that he wasn't misunderstanding the ancient man.

"Has there been another Carlisle that you have commissioned clothing for?"

"No," he said after a moment of silence. "Yes, I do believe I still have it somewhere. I'll have to check the fabric…Has Carlisle returned to Volterra?"

"Not so much," Aro said and sighed, though the sound was surprising in its tone.

There was something different about Aro, something in his voice and the way he interacted. He could tell just from their phone call that the man seemed…happier. Yes, Giuseppe nodded to himself that was exactly the change. Aro was happier. He wondered what had brought about the change, but knew better than to ask on it. Arching a brow when the ancient vampire requested a dress to be made from the same period, Giuseppe sat back against the seat of the car.

"Pale gold on the inside and darker gold on the outside," he repeated Aro's description back to him. "The shades close enough to complement and blend in with the gold of Carlisle's suit?"

"Yes," Aro cheered. "When will the dress be done?"

"I should be able to send you a design in the next two weeks and have the dress itself completed roughly two months after. I'll need to fit the girl to make certain the dress is properly sewn," he said, hedging around asking the question burning in his mind.

"No need my friend," Aro said. "She is roughly the same size as Sulpicia only about six inches taller."

"That shouldn't be a problem," he said wanting desperately to ask whom the dress was for.

"Wonderful!" Aro cheered and Giuseppe's brows furrowed in curious confusion when the call disconnected.

"Well that was odd," he told Sergeant as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. "With the colors he asked for, Aro just asked me to design a dress for a daughter. I haven't seen Carlisle in ages…I didn't know he had a daughter."

Sergeant barked and thumped his tail against the seat as the car pulled off the highway and onto the private road leading to the Cliffside Mansion. It wasn't long before they were back home. Opening the car door, Giuseppe laughed when Sergeant bounded out the car ahead of him and ran toward the front door of the mansion only to turn around and bark once before sitting down on the stoop. Shaking his head as he offered his pet a lopsided grin, he nodded to the driver and waved as the car disappeared.

"Alright, boy," Giuseppe said as he unlocked and opened the door. "We're home."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Her steps were quick and silent as she moved down the stone hallways beneath the castle. Perhaps this time she could make it passed them unseen, maybe this time she could finally feed. She slowed her movements as she came to the area where the lights were dimmed, only a few candles lit to guide the way. She couldn't see in the dark anymore, couldn't tell the shadows apart and it frightened her. Stopping for a single moment, she closed her eyes and gathered her talent around her. Keeping her shield in place, she moved down the hallway, careful to remain quiet as she made her way toward the dungeons holding the humans. She felt hope and relief as she lifted her hand to the brass handle on the door only to fall as pain bright as fire consumed her being.

She wanted to cry out, to scream with the pain, but she couldn't. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't do anything but writhe in agony as she tried to escape the pain. Footsteps sounded behind her, the person making certain to announce their presence to her only seconds before she was lifted and flung through the air. Her body collided with the stone wall, the impact jarring and painful. She struggled to her feet then, hoping to move away before anything else could happen only to fall to the floor clutching her head in her hands as she sobbed soundlessly. Her shield didn't work against this person, the same one who had been tormenting her nonstop for the past four months that Aro had been gone.

"You are not allowed down here," Jane sneered as she increased the force of her talent upon Renata. "They are for us. For the high guards, you are nothing. Leave," Jane commanded as she finally released Renata from her talent.

Renata scrambled to her feet, fleeing the halls at once as she ran for the safety of her chambers. The last time she had fed was almost two weeks before Master Aro had disappeared. He, just like Master Marcus, just like Felix and Lady Sulpicia, had left so quietly that no one had noticed until they were too far gone to find. She cried out as she collided with someone, their arms going around her instantly and she tried to fight against them, fearing the worst. The man's arm went around her waist, another going around her back as she was held in a manner meant to comfort not restrain.

"Hush, hush you're safe, I've got you," the man whispered to her and Renata took in a trembling breath.

"Demetri?" she spoke his name quietly, her entire body shaking within his hold.

"Yeah, it's me, Ren," he soothed her before releasing her.

"I – I th-thought…" her voice trembling and failing as she felt unable to continue.

"I know," he said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he led her back to her chambers. "You thought I was Santiago. Somehow that little bitch has got him wrapped around her finger."

It was a trick of their kind, a weakness that was never known unless it was experienced. To the humans, their kind felt as though they were made of stone, unbreakable. Their skin felt smooth and soft to an extent, but still they felt unbreakable. To their own kind though, to other vampires? They didn't feel cold, their skin was all the same temperature and so to each other they felt warm. They could feel muscles and bone; it also meant that their bones could still be broken even if their skin was never torn. The right pressure, the right angle delivered from one of their kind could break the bones lying beneath the marble skin. The trick of it was though, it couldn't be done by accident and it couldn't be done by being thrown into something or having anything fall on top of them. To break another vampire's bones the move had to be deliberate and delivered by someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

Santiago had made such a move against her one month prior. Jane had been denying her access to the dungeons, access to the blood she needed so desperately and so she had gone to leave the castle. She had fed from animals before and while certainly not as convenient as the humans trapped in the dungeons, their blood was just as satisfying to her. She had been caught by the doors leading outside, Jane pinning her to the floor with her talent while Santiago had snapped both her legs under Jane's command. She had screamed then, crying out with fear and true physical pain only to be dragged back to her chambers and thrown inside.

Demetri had come upon her after hearing what had happened and watched as she set her left leg on her own. The pain had been excruciating for her, but made worse by the fact that she was denied the sustenance her body needed. He had helped her set her right leg, but she was too afraid of him or anyone else to let him stay for very long after. He had tried to sneak her blood. First, by means of taking a human from the dungeons and then again, by draining one and carrying their blood out in a bottle, but both times he had been stopped by Jane. With Aro gone there was no one to control her, no one to keep her from using her talent on whoever she wanted.

"I'm sorry, Ren," Demetri said as they came to her chambers and he watched her slip inside. "I've tried to…"

"I know," she interrupted him quickly, her voice still shaking with fear. "Cara told me what happened. What Jane did. Thank you for trying."

"I can't believe he would've just left, just abandoned the Volturi," he told her as she moved to shut the door. "They'll come back. I know they will."

"You're missing all the clues," she shook her head as she closed the door and spoke to him from the other side of it. "They never announced they were leaving. They just each disappeared. Can't you see? Caius killed them."

She locked each of the four locks on the door, mourning as she knew the only person aside from her to hold the keys would never again use them. Aro was dead, she was sure of it. It was the only explanation that made any sense. If he had truly meant to leave the castle he would've asked her to go with him. He had never left without taking her with him, unless it was to go see his personal tailor, but even then he would return within a few hours. She stumbled through the dark shadows of her rooms, not feeling the desire to turn on the lights, and came to the window in the back of her bedroom.

She set her hands on the cold stone sill and looked out into the night only to see nothing. Normally she would be able to see the gardens from her window, but having gone so long without feeding she was barely able to see her hand in front of her face. She was terrified. Every moment she was terrified of what would happen next. Turning away from the window, she fell back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, her hands covering her face. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs and bent her head down over them.

Her dark hair fell around her like a curtain as she cried tearlessly, her body quaking with her near silent sobs. Nothing was safe anymore. Stepping out beyond the walls of her chambers meant pain and torment. She was barely to keep herself from crouching in corners like some kind of animal when she was around anyone else, even Demetri and he had tried to be nice to her. She was terrified of everyone and everything now. She didn't hear the scraping of the key in the locks or the sound of the latches turning. She didn't hear the main door of her chambers open or the two sets of footsteps coming toward her. Had she heard any of it she would have tried to run.

**:::::**

Aro had felt nothing but anger since he and Marcus had landed in Volterra. The sight of Bianca's injuries had been upsetting enough, but the moment he had read through her memories it had taken every bit of control for him not to growl. The cruelty Caius had subjected upon her and Gianna, killing them as a result, had left both him and Marcus in a state of fury for the past few hours. Their anger had only calmed when, as they were carrying Gianna's lifeless body out the car, Angela had called Aro on his cell phone. Her voice had greeted them, the ribbons of her talent wrapping around them in the same moment and she had granted them peace and control once more.

He still felt the anger, both of them did, but Aro knew it was Angela alone who had taken away the maddening power it held. She had soothed them and in doing so reminded them both of what it was they had to do now. He had been displeased to say the least when he had returned to the castle and found Jane and Alec out of their bonds. He had not approved their release, but still Caius had granted them freedom. He and Marcus had spent the past few hours conducting business in the throne room and getting the command structure back in order, but it had disturbed him that he had not seen Renata once.

Marcus spoke his name low, the sound of his voice having once more returned to the uncaring despair that it had held before meeting Angela and Aro found that he was truly upset by it. Touching his hand to his brother's he read through the thoughts Marcus presented to him and nodded silently. He too was unsettled by Renata's absence and Aro saw in that moment that Marcus had been a friend to her when she needed it. Asking to his guard's whereabouts brought no answers, everyone in the room becoming strangely quiet and guarded. Standing from his seat and looking back to Marcus, he nodded once and watched his brother stand with fluid grace to follow him.

"Make no mistake," Aro said, his tone low and commanding. "I am in command and I will remain so. What happened in our absences will _never_ happen again."

He stepped toward the doors, Demetri and Santiago opening the giant wooden structures for them to pass through. Aro stilled, narrowing his eyes as he looked back at Marcus and saw confirmation of what even he could see. Demetri was clearly angered by Santiago, but due to his brother's larger size and physical power, he would not move against him. Making a note to read Demetri later in private, he continued out into the hall and made his way toward the wing holding the living quarters.

It didn't take them long to reach Renata's quarters and Aro frowned at the stillness he could feel from within. It was as though the room had not been opened in some time and he grew concerned when his knock and words went unanswered. Turning to Marcus and seeing the concern his brother was unable to hide, Aro reached for the set of keys in his pocket. His movements were quick as he released the locks and opened the door. He stood silent for a long moment as he looked inside the dark room, everything held within seen clearly to his sharp gaze.

Marcus moved ahead of him into the room as he remained in place by the door and Aro shook himself from his stupor. Stepping inside and closing the door, he followed Marcus to the back of the chambers and opened the bedroom door. They both stilled as they looked inside, finding Renata huddled on the floor with her face buried in the hollow between her knees and chest. Aro was the first to move then, going to her immediately and crouching down in front of her. He called her name and frowned deeply when she didn't respond. Reaching out to her, he was unprepared for her reaction.

She hadn't heard them enter, hadn't heard them walk toward her, but the very second Aro's hand touched her shoulder she jumped. She moved without thought to see who was with her, crouching in the corner by her closet as her coal black eyes stared unseeing into the inky darkness surrounding her. She didn't want to be hurt again, didn't want to be as frightened as she was, but the lack of blood meant that her predatory sight had diminished. She heard their voices, but the state of panic she was in prevented her from fully understanding what they were saying or recognizing their voices.

"What the hell?" Aro breathed out as he stared wide eyed at Renata. "Renata, do you recognize us?" he asked softly, keeping his voice low and soothing.

"Brother, I don't think she can see us," Marcus said after a moment. "Watch how her eyes move around, they never settle on us."

"Turn on the light," Aro commanded Marcus softly, never taking his eyes off of Renata.

He moved closer to her slowly, reaching out when he stood barely two feet from her and slowly let his fingers glide across her cheek. Her reaction was the same as before, her back slamming into the wall before she moved to flee, but Aro caught her easily, his arms closing around her as he held her tightly and waited for her to calm. He didn't understand why she wasn't using her shield, expecting to have felt her trying to deflect him. She was trembling in his arms, the feel of her terror drawing a low growl from him as he both sought to comfort her and desired to destroy whoever had left her in such a state.

"Shh," he whispered to her when she tried to get away. "It's me. Renata, my child, it's me… Marcus?" he looked up at his brother when the man failed to turn on any lights.

"Nothing is working. Not even the computer," Marcus said with confusion. "It's as though the electricity to her chambers has been turned off."

"Is there a candle near?" Aro asked. "We won't be able to calm her until she can see us."

"No candle, but I'll see if I can get the fireplace working. What the hell has her so terrified?" Marcus growled the question, anger and concern coloring his words.

"I don't know," Aro said as he rubbed Renata's back, holding her close as he stood with her by the window.

She couldn't escape the arms holding her. She didn't know who was with her and with every second that passed she only grew more fearful. She had tried numerous times already to raise her shield, but it wasn't working, her talent wasn't responding. If she couldn't see and she couldn't use her shield, did that mean that Alec was the other person in the room? Was he doing this to her? Did they finally mean to destroy her? She trembled as she tried to push against the man holding her and break free, but she was too weak to escape his hold.

"There were only bits of one log," Marcus said as he stepped back into the bedroom. "The fire isn't much, but it should offer enough light for her to see by. How long has it been since she's fed?"

"I don't know," Aro growled low, the sound meant to comfort, and lifted Renata into his arms as he stepped out into the main area of her chambers. "Panicked thoughts are hard to discern," he admitted as he walked toward the armchair Marcus had moved to sit in front of the fireplace.

Aro sat down with Renata, holding her cradled in his lap as he prayed the pale gold glow of the small fire would be enough for her to see by. Smoothing her hair back from her face, he tucked the dark locks behind her ears and called her name as he tried once again to gain her attention. It was long moments that he sat with her trembling in his arms, holding her tightly and rocking her. Aro looked up sharply at the sound of Marcus' curse and watched as his brother came out of Renata's room carrying an ornately carved wooden box in his hands. He could see the rage on his brother's face as he opened the box and tipped it just enough for Aro to see inside.

"What the - ?" Aro cut himself off before the rage could bring forth the snarl building low in his throat. "When the hell did that happen?"

"I have no answers for you," Marcus said as he closed the box and set it down on the floor. "She hasn't responded yet?"

"No," Aro said softly. "Not yet. She needs to feed. Have one of the humans drained and bring their blood with a goblet."

"I'll gather it myself," Marcus said, his tone low and tight with displeasure. "We need Angela," he whispered to himself. "Or at the very least, Jasper."

Aro chuckled softly at the mention of Carlisle's children and nodded. Angela's ability heal their kind and Jasper's talent with emotion would be very welcomed, but neither one was with them. They couldn't take the risk of calling upon them either and Aro held Renata closer, her head tucked under his chin as he sat with her wrapped in his arms. The moments passed by in silence as he held her and waited for Marcus' return, his brother appearing just as the tiny fire fell apart into embers, the glowing red pieces snuffing themselves out.

"Here," Marcus said and handed the silver chalice to Aro as he held a large pitcher in his other hand.

Aro accepted the goblet with a nod of thanks and brought it to Renata's lips. He knew that she could smell the blood, he could hear her low hungry growls, but she wouldn't take it. Confused by her resistance, Aro switched the hand holding the cup and tipped Renate back the cradle of one arm. Dipping his finger into the blood, he brought the digit to her lips and smoothed the thick red liquid over the seam of her mouth. The movement seemed to frighten her, but she stayed in his arms and a short moment later she licked her lips. Aro sighed soundlessly, the movement from her seen to him as a victory, however small it may be. Kissing her forehead, he brought the cup back to her lips and tipped it against her mouth.

"That's it," he praised softly as Renata began to drink from the chalice and Aro smiled with relief.

She began to respond slowly as the cup was drained and as Aro held it out for Marcus to pour more blood into it from the pitcher, she spoke.

"A-aro?" his name trembled on her lips, the sound almost unintelligible, though he understood her perfectly.

"Yes," Aro fairly cheered his voice little more than a whisper as he hugged Renata close.

Her trembling returned, the feel of it almost violent, and Aro was grateful when Marcus took the cup from his hand. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder as sobs broke from within her. He held her tightly; stroking her hair as she cried in his arms touched his cheek to hers as he opened his talent to her memories. He saw all of the times Jane had tormented her, how almost the very moment his absence had been discovered, Caius had released the twins. There were times in the beginning that Jane would cast her talent upon Renata in front of Caius simply for the man's entertainment and Aro growled darkly.

He wanted to destroy Jane himself in that moment, but knew that he couldn't. Everything had to be done slowly, cautiously or a war would begin and he was not willing to chance that happening. He spoke to the woman in his arms softly, holding her close and soothing her until she calmed. His cheek was still pressed against hers when Marcus touched her leg to offer her comfort as well and she flinched, the memory of Santiago breaking her bones assailing Aro in vivid detail. His anger was a powerful thing then and just as he feared that he would act on it and frighten Renata, he felt a soothing warmth engulf him like a ghostly hug.

"Thank you, little one," he whispered and saw Marcus' soft grin.

"Angela?" his brother asked and Aro nodded.

Renata grew quiet slowly, almost an hour passing that she had spent wrapped in Aro's arms as her grief and fear poured out of her. He petted her hair as he held her and kissed her brow when she leaned back against the cradle of his arm. Physically and emotionally she was exhausted, drained to a point that she wished she could sleep, but knew it to be an impossibility. She watched quietly as Aro reached out to Marcus, accepting the goblet that was filled once more with blood. He brought it to her lips, content to hold her as she drank the blood and encouraged her to rest against him when the pitcher was emptied.

She was both confused and comforted, her eyes blinking slowly as she curled against Aro and rested her head on his shoulder. His hand toyed with her hair, the soft tugs soothing her and she gave into the desire she had to close her eyes. She let herself take comfort in the safety he was offering her even as a part of her felt confused by it. He had never held her like this before, never offered her this kind of shelter and she wondered what had happened to him while he had been away. He was still the same person, she knew that, but something about him had changed. Something intangible and as much as it confused her, she was grateful for it as well.

Opening her eyes as she took in a breath to speak, her gaze came to rest on the box by the fireplace and she stilled, her body freezing in place. She thought she heard Aro call out to her, thought she almost saw Marcus' face appear before her, but all she could see was the box. Hands slipped against her cheeks, her face framed and held gently even as she felt herself carried back into the memory she wished so fervently she could forget.

* * *

_Volterra, Italy September 1363_

She closed her eyes; her concentration focused on her shield and wrapped her power around herself as she reached for the polished handle on her chamber door. Opening the heavy wood and metal door slowly, she stepped into the hall, her cloak fluttering about her feet. Her eyes moved back and forth as she took solace in the empty hall and pulled her chamber door closed behind her. Moving down the hall silently, she kept her shield up as others passed her by and hid her tightly fisted hands within the folds of the heavy cloak she wore.

She had to remind herself every day to appear relaxed and calm in the presence of all those around her. It wasn't just the Masters that made her uncomfortable, it was everyone. She wasn't comfortable in anyone's presence and felt her fear rise the closer anyone got to her. Biting her tongue as two of the larger guards came nearer to her; she remained quiet as she met their crimson gazes in a silent challenge. It was rare that she spoke to anyone other than Master Aro and never more than a few words at a time. In fact, entire days would pass in which she spoke nothing at all.

Nodding once as the large double doors were opened at her approach, she stepped inside the empty throne room and looked at the masters seated within. None of them moved and, though she was surprised to see Sulpicia and Athenodora present, she said nothing. She looked back as another guard came into the room, the man followed closely by Chelsea and Corin. Moving to take her place behind Aro, she stilled when he moved his head to the right ever so slightly. The movement was subtle, but one that commanded her to remain where she was.

"You have been with us just shy of a century, isn't that correct?" Caius said and she moved only her eyes as her attention snapped to him. "Answer me!" he demanded and she only barely kept from jumping at his sharp tone.

"Yes, Master," Renata answered, her lips hardly moving as her voice remained that of a whisper.

"Renata, dear," her eyes turned to Aro when he spoke. "I heard you wished to visit your mother, is this true?" he asked, his voice pleasant and amused.

She frowned delicately as she looked at him. She had spoken no such thought aloud to anyone. The only place she had mentioned such a desire was in her journal. He hadn't taken her hand to read her thoughts in quite some time and the want to see her mother had only come to her recently. Had someone read her journal and told him? It was the only thought that made sense to her, but then who had been in her chambers.

"You were asked a question!" Caius snapped when she remained silent and Renata backed away, the movement unconscious.

"It was only a passing thought," Renata said softly and shook her head. "I am fine where I am."

"Renata, my dear child," Aro mused, his tone pleasant and lyrical. "Please, if you wish to visit your family you are certainly free to do so."

She watched as he smiled at her, his expression telling her that he meant his words even as they seemed to her to be somehow a trap. She nodded once, the movement subtle and quiet before casting her eyes to the floor. She hated being in the same room with Caius and Chelsea. They both made her feel exceedingly uncomfortable on their own, but together they frightened her and she had no explanation as to why. She looked up when Aro stood and fought to keep her expression neutral as he came to stand before her.

"You will let me know once you have travel plans arranged?" Aro asked as he grabbed her shoulders in a gentle, pseudo-hug.

"Of course, Master," Renata said softly and watched as he stepped away, wondering why he hadn't touched her skin to read her thoughts.

"Good, good," Aro fairly cheered as he returned to his seat. "That was all, my dear."

Doing what she could to not let her confusion show; Renata caught movement out of the corner of her eye and watched as Caius nodded to Jane. She didn't remember the child or her brother having entered the throne room before, but she found them standing near Chelsea. Turning around silently, she made her way gracefully toward the doors only to be stopped by Caius' voice and the false comfort in his tone sent a chill up her spine.

"Perhaps you should ask your mother to visit you here," Caius suggested with a grin and Renata stared at him silently for a moment. "Do you have something to say?" he asked mockingly and she shook her head. "She's nearly mute," he sneered as she left the throne room.

"Ah, but she is _my_ guard, dear brother," she heard Aro return as she traveled down the hall, his voice fading as she walked away.

She made her way back to her chambers quietly, her held breath released in a sigh of relief as she shut herself in her rooms once more. She wasn't sure what to make of the encounter, the responses from Aro confusing and from Caius unsettling. Did she dare even try to make plans for travel? Was this a test of some kind? It had truly only been a thought and one she had never spoken aloud. Who had come into her chambers? Who had read from her journal?

Lifting her hands to the silk cord that tied her cloak about her neck, she pulled the bow loose and turned to her bed. Her hands stilled, all movements stopping as she stood frozen in her spot staring at the box lying on her bed. The wood was carefully carved, flowering vines wrapping around the box in artistic relief and she stepped closer slowly as she removed her cloak. That box hadn't been there before she left and as she set her cloak aside, she grew fearful of what it held.

Reaching out with one hand, she lifted the edge of the box, leather straps on the inside holding the lid attached to the back. Tipping the box to see inside, she gasped sharply and released the wood, her eyes flaring wide with horror. She whispered to herself as she shook her head and tipped the box once more to see inside again. Her hand released the wood once more as though she'd been burned by it and she stepped back from the bed as she trembled. Closing her eyes, the image of her mother's head assailed her and she stumbled back into the desk behind her. Her hand slipped on a piece of animal skin parchment and she turned around, lifting it up as she read the short note.

_Let me know if you need any help with the travel plans._

_~Jane_

Her legs gave out from under her and before she realized she had moved, Renata found herself sitting on the floor staring at the box, the inked animal skin still clutched in her hand. It wasn't a test at all; it was a message, clear and simple. If she left Volterra her family would suffer. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she sat with her arms wrapped around her legs and stared at the box. The angle of the sun changed, her room darkening as it fell below the horizon, but still she sat unmoving. Three times the sun rose and fell though she never moved, her eyes fixed on what she knew was the last remaining piece of her birth mother turned immortal.

It was on the fourth day that a heavy knock came upon her chamber doors, the sound thundering around her and shocking her out of her grief-stricken oblivion. She rose from the floor quickly, tucking the note still trapped in her hand into the open box before closing it and hiding it away in the back of her large closet. She carefully schooled her emotions, hiding away the pain that twisted her heart, and moved to answer her chamber door. She barely heard what the woman was saying, the vampire standing in her doorway but a servant, not even a guard.

"Did you want any?" the servant girl asked her again, her words breaking through Renata's grief. "Your eyes are dark," she pointed out as though saying so would make a difference somehow.

Renata shook her head silently, still unaware of what the woman had been offering her and closed her door. Moving to the large floor pillow covering the stone floor in front of her fireplace, she sat down. She had no knowledge of what day it was or how long had passed between finding her mother's head in that box and the moment when she opened the door. If she were needed for her duties, certainly someone would have come calling for her. She didn't hear the knock that came after or the voice that called to her from beyond the door. All she knew in that moment was the feel of her grief, the way it felt as though her very soul were being torn in two.

She didn't hear her door open or the footsteps that came after, but in seconds she was sprawled out across the floor with her head in her hands. Jane stood above her, the child's face impassive as she cast her talent upon Renata and watched her cry silently in pain. She stopped after a moment, watching as Renata gasped and whimpered before looking up to meet her eyes. She was almost to her feet when Jane cast her talent upon her again and Renata fell to the cold stone floor, the pain unbearable. Once more Jane released her from her talent and once more cast it upon her again just after she was standing.

"Now do you understand your place here?" Jane asked sweetly, her face twisted in a cruel smile. "I do hope we won't have to remind you again."

* * *

Aro's eyes were impossibly wide as he stared at her, the memory clawing at him and he finally understood why she had always seemed so afraid. She had never been given a moment's peace from Jane, had she? Her talent didn't work to deflect the child's power and Jane did enjoy tormenting others with it. He had not been false in his words to her that day. He had wanted her to go visit with her family, knowing without any doubt that she would return, but she had never left. He shook his head in disbelief as he stared at Renata before looking up at Marcus. The question was in his eyes, no words needed and his brother gave his answer just as silently.

"That's why you never left," Aro said after a moment of silence, his attention returning to Renata. "I never understood."

"Never under…?" her voice faded as she looked at the box, her brow furrowed deeply in confusion.

"I never would have allowed that to happen," he promised her sagely. "Had I known," he shook his head. "Just as with your shield, my dear, I can choose when to use my talent. I've not read you nearly as often as you believe I have. I've had no need to."

"You mean you…? You would've let me go?" she asked and sobbed when he nodded silently.

"Oh, Renata," he wrapped her in a tight hug, her head bowed upon his shoulder. "It was never my intention for you to be as hurt as you have. You were supposed to be safe here."

She cried harder when he said that and Aro spoke low to Marcus, holding Renata tightly as he relayed to the man all that he read regarding the box. Standing with Renata in his arms, Aro followed behind Marcus as they left her chambers. The halls were empty as they walked down to Marcus' chambers and stepped quietly inside. He needed to know that she was guarded and while he had quite a bit of cleanup to do, it wouldn't be a surprise to anyone for Marcus to remain unseen for hours or even days at a time. He gave no thought to his actions as he carried Renata through the main areas and back to Marcus' bedroom.

Laying her down on top of the neatly made bed, Aro smoothed her hair back against the pillow and offered her a sad smile before encouraging her to rest. Stepping out of the room, he walked with Marcus back into the front room and looked at the bookcase sitting against the wall. He spoke softly as he revealed the torment Jane had cast upon Renata in their absence, a growl coloring his tone as he spoke of the way her legs had been broken by Santiago. It was no longer a question in either of their minds. Jane must be destroyed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Aro looked back at Renata and pursed his lips. He didn't need to touch her to see that she was afraid to step into the hall. Her posture was too stiff, her eyes too wide and he feared in that moment that she may never be able to feel safe inside the stone walls. It had been two days since she had left Marcus' chambers to return to her own. Aro sighed silently. It had been two days since anyone had seen her. Holding out his hand to her, he stood silently waiting for her to take notice and gave her a soft smile when she placed her palm in his. He could see the question in her eyes and shook his head briefly.

"No, my dear," he answered her unspoken question softly. "I'm not reading you, but just like you did, everyone else will think that I am. Come, walk with me," he encouraged her and led her toward the main door of her chambers.

He had taken her from her human home in Malta so many centuries ago to be his shield. He had wanted her to protect him, but now he could see how very much she needed him to protect her instead. She had never spoken up about the abuse she suffered from Jane or how uncomfortable she felt around anyone else. He had not known that what appeared to be shyness was fear. Yes, she was a quiet girl and yes, she tended to prefer solitude, but she was also terrified. He rubbed the back of her hand as he opened the door and led her into the hall only to feel her hand suddenly disappear from his hold.

He looked back into her chambers behind him and found her bedroom door standing slightly open. When he turned his attention back to the hall in front of him he was provided an answer to her sudden retreat. Jane and Santiago were coming down the hall, not together, but from either side. While that may mean nothing to anyone else, it had been those same two who had caused Renata the most pain and torment over the past four and a half months. Slipping back inside and closing the door, Aro frowned. It was then that he realized he had never tested the true range of Jane's ability. How close did she actually have to be to cast her talent upon someone?

Stepping up to the bedroom, he peered inside to find Renata huddled on the floor under the window as he had that first night a little more than a week ago. Closing his eyes as he mourned her suffering, he wished once more than Angela was there with them. He wondered how different his reactions would have been if he had not met Carlisle's daughter. Would he have been able to provide Renata the depth of care and support she needed? Moving over to kneel beside her, he gave no thought to his actions as he sat on the floor and drew Renata into his arms. Resting his chin on her head as he held her tightly, he remained silent as he offered her what comforts he could.

She hated how afraid she was, hated that just the sight of Jane could send her into a panic, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't control her reactions. She had tried going out into the hall on her own before Aro had come to find her. She had tried for almost a solid hour that first day after returning to her chambers to step outside the door, but she couldn't. Each and every time she opened the door fear overwhelmed her to a point that she found it impossible to move. She kept waiting for him to say something, for Aro to damn her for her fears, but he never did.

Closing her eyes, Renata turned her face into his chest and tried her best not to be weak. She would do this, she told herself. She would make it out of her chambers and she would walk into the throne room… She stilled, her fear consuming her whole as she thought of the throne room. Caius had demanded to know Aro's whereabouts once his absence had been discovered, but she hadn't had an answer for him. The master vampire had backhanded her with all of his strength, the crushing blow to her cheek sending her flying across the room.

She had wanted to raise her shield, wanted to defend against him, but knew that such an action would be seen as insubordination. Closing her eyes tightly as she felt Aro's arms tighten around her in response to her growing fear, she remembered the pain as Caius had commanded an answer from her only to have Jane use her power when she remained silent. She was trembling, she knew she was trembling, but she couldn't make it stop.

Renata gasped quietly when she felt Aro move only to lift her into his lap. He was holding her again as he had that first night, shielding her as he silently promised her his protection. She felt one of his arms release her, the muscles vibrating slightly for a few seconds before he wrapped his arm around her again. He never said anything, never made it appear as though he were upset with her for her fear or impatient in any manner. He simply held her and Renata felt as comforted by it as she felt broken. She wasn't certain how much time had passed with them sitting on the floor and looked up when she felt a new hand rub her back.

Marcus didn't say anything when Renata turned her head to look at him, but he did let the mask he kept in place fall and saw her brows furrow with confusion. He was too concerned about her at the moment for Renata to see the true depth of Angela's affect on him, but he knew she could see something had changed. She reminded him a bit of Angela, Marcus thought, in the way that she needed them. He had been too lost in his own grief for him to see it before, but even still he wondered how he could have mistaken the fear in her eyes for simple shyness.

"Can we try again?" Aro asked her softly and she nodded silently.

Marcus stood and held out his hand to Renata, helping her stand from Aro's lap. He kept her beside him as Aro stood, her hand tucked into the curve of his elbow and Aro smiled slightly at the sight of it. Holding out his hand to her, he leaned in and kissed her temple when she slipped her palm into his. Leading the way back to the front door of her chambers, Aro stepped into the hall and felt her grip tighten as she took the first step out of the door beside him. Chaffing his thumb over her hand he held, he encouraged her silently to step into the hall.

Aro was grateful that the hall was now empty, watching as Marcus stepped out after Renata and closed the door behind him. Her eyes immediately jumped back to the closed wood, though she remained motionless otherwise, and looked up when Marcus patted her hand gently. They could both see the signs they had somehow missed before, the rigid posture as she stood straight, the speed with which her eyes flicked in one direction or another. She was clearly terrified and doing all she could to hide it. Was this what Caius had seen? Aro wondered. Was this why he had taken such pleasure in tormenting her?

Renata glanced down at Marcus' arm; her hand still tucked inside the curve of his elbow and wondered why neither he nor Aro had released her yet. She didn't want to let go of either of them, she honestly doubted that she could, but neither one of them had said anything. Aro had assured her that he wasn't reading her, promised her that it wasn't the reason he was keeping her hand in his, still she couldn't help the thought that this was somehow a test. Would she fail or appear weak to them if she couldn't walk into the throne room under her own power?

Her grip tightened unconsciously on them both as Jane's words came back to her. The vampire child had assured her that her days were numbered, that Caius was against her joining their family from the start. Yes, Aro and Marcus had returned, but did that mean that she was any safer than she had been while they were gone? Jane had promised her that she would be destroyed, promised her that her family would be as well.

"Renata," she looked up when Aro spoke her name. "You're trembling," he informed her, concern furrowing his brows.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," she assured him, her voice as soft as ever.

"You'd tell me if you weren't?" he asked and she nodded.

It seemed odd to her that he would ask. Why would he need her to tell him if something was wrong? He was holding her hand. Closing her eyes as she steeled herself against her rising panic, she slipped her hands from the master vampires walking with her and looked up as they came to the throne room. Aro looked at her again, his gaze concerned, but she remained silent. She would pass this test; she would not fail in her duties. She would not put her family in danger. She flinched slightly as they walked in through the doors, her eyes moving to see Jane staring at her with a tense expression and prayed that she could withstand the child's power.

The pain was bearable, barely discernible, but enough to let her know that Jane was using her talent on her. It was a warning, a silent order to remain quiet about all that happened. If she didn't, if she spoke out, Renata knew that the pain would only get worse. Aro made a show of sitting down and beckoning her close, Caius tensing as he asked for her hand. Jane's pain increased steadily until Renata was certain that she would cry out or stumble because of it, but just before she put her hand into Aro's, the pain vanished.

"It is good to be home, my dear," Aro said and looked at Caius before turning his eyes around the room. "Take your place," he said as he released her and Renata moved to stand behind his chair. "We have much to discuss today."

The pain returned ten-fold and Renata clenched her jaw to keep silent as she gripped the carved stone of Aro's throne to remain standing. Jane wasn't usually this forceful with her when they were around others, but the child seemed to be taking great pleasure in doing so now. She wanted to cry out, to tell Aro what was happening and even considered touching him, but the second she raised her hand the power of Jane's talent increased. Just as she feared she would fall, the pain vanished and she felt the residual traces ebb away as she looked out into the room.

Jane was no longer standing in sight of her, but now standing along the wall. No one was looking at her, and everyone seemed to be ignoring her. Renata wanted to ask what had happened, but if she did she would reveal that she hadn't been paying attention. That was just as bad as second guessing a command, wasn't it? Her hand remained on the back of Aro's chair, her grip this time intended to keep her upright. She felt horribly weak, Jane's power having sapped her strength and Renata felt both the need and fear of blood. Closing her eyes as she tried to focus her energy on remaining where she was, she looked up when she heard her name called.

She furrowed her brow to see Aro standing in front of her and was even more confused to find the throne room empty, save for him and Marcus. When had everyone left? How long had she had her eyes closed? He called her name again and she met his gaze. She frowned when he spoke, realizing that for some unknown reason she couldn't understand him. She flinched when he reached out to her and she understood why. The pain was back. Jane may not be in the room, but the doors were open and the pain was enough to keep her from being able to think clearly.

"Come, my dear," Aro said as he looked at Renata and gently disengaged her hand from the back of his chair.

"When did everyone leave?" she asked softly as he guided her around the chair.

"Almost ten minutes ago," Aro said with concern. "You've been unresponsive. You need to feed."

Renata's eyes widened at his words and she moved without thought as she raced for the door. She knew all too well what would happen if she went to the dungeons and couldn't control the fear that commanded her movements. She was almost in the hall when she was seized from behind, the door in front of her closing, but not before she caught sight of Santiago standing in the hall. In the moment that she saw his dark face time itself seemed to still. The doors had been shut, her escape locked away, but all she could see was his face. Her struggles became desperate, her fear overwhelming her to the point that she didn't know who was with her and could no longer recognize the sound of their voices.

She was too panicked to know that she was safe, too afraid to understand that the one holding her was only trying to comfort her. Aro spoke to her as he held her tightly; shushing her as he tried to soothe her terror, but nothing he did seemed to do anything except frighten her more. Marcus came to him then, after having made certain the doors were secured tightly, and touched his hand. Aro nodded once as he read his brother's thoughts, the man requesting to take Renata from him and try something. It had been a snippet of Angela's memory Aro had seen, but somehow it was Marcus' as well.

Aro watched as Marcus took Renata into his arms and held her securely. He made certain that she couldn't hurt herself or him with her struggles before growling low to her as he began to hum a song. He had seen Emmett do this once for Angela, the memory having been shared unintentionally when the human girl was half in her mind and half in his. Somehow the same actions seemed to resonate with the vampire in his arms as they had with Angela and Marcus held her closer still as she began to calm. He kissed her bowed head and petted her hair in long slow strokes as she began to still against him.

Her struggles had ceased, but he could feel that her trembling had not and Marcus loosed his hold just enough so that she could wrap her arms around his waist. He didn't release her, choosing instead to change the strength of his hold to a more relaxed and comfortable embrace. Looking up at Aro, he chose not to speak his thoughts aloud and instead held his hand out for the man to take. She had been tormented while they were gone, controlled by the force of Jane's power and her own fear. Aro could see the truth and absolute certainty in Marcus' observations. Until Renata was certain of her own safety, certain that she wouldn't be brutalized by Jane or Santiago, any mention of having her feed would send her into a terrible panic.

"What do we do?" Aro asked Marcus quietly, seeking his brother's advice.

_We have to make her feel safe_, he answered through his thoughts, his hand still held by Aro's. _She has to know that she is safe._ _We can't expect her to be comfortable with going on her own to the dungeons to feed. At this point she may still even panic were we to be with her._

"What are you suggesting?" he asked as he lifted his other hand to rest in the small of Renata's back, a gentle touch meant to comfort.

_Start slow, _Marcus advised._ At least for the time being, we need to keep bringing her blood in pitchers with a goblet. She was starved for over fourth months, Aro, prevented from feeding by Jane's power. That was long enough to equate feeding with unimaginable pain._

Renata whimpered softly, the quiet noise drawing both of the ancients' attention to her and Marcus dropped a kiss to her bowed head. The single pitcher of blood he had brought for her that first night was only just enough to take the edge off. Having been denied the sustenance her body needed for so long returned her need of blood to nearly that of a newborn. She should have fed from at least two more people to satisfy her needs, but she had shied away from any further offer of blood after Aro had left her to rest in Marcus' bed. It had been a little over a week since that night, nine days to be exact, and her eyes were once again black.

"Renata," Marcus offered her a small sad smile when she looked up at him. "Where would you feel the most comfortable, my chambers or your own?" he asked and saw her frown.

She didn't understand why he would ask her that. Was this another test? Her bottom lip folded in over her teeth and even as her fear screamed at her to go back to her own chambers, she found herself asking to return to his instead. Marcus nodded silently and kissed her brow before releasing her from his embrace. He didn't say anything else as he took her left hand and tucked it into the curve of his elbow. Escorting her to the door, he waited as Aro unlatched the locks and pulled open the heavy wooden door.

He walked with her through the halls, keeping his hand over hers as a sign that he both wanted and approved of her being next to him. Feeling her grip change from almost relaxed to desperately tight, he looked down at her and saw the way her jaw was clenched. Uncertain if she was afraid or not Marcus looked up and cast his eyes around the hall in front of them. It appeared empty to him and while the hall in front of them was devoid of anyone, he failed to notice the person standing as far back in the shadows behind them as they could.

Jane remained in the shadows, watching Marcus and Renata as they disappeared down the hall, her power rendered useless as soon as they were out of sight. It seemed that Aro was giving his precious shield to Marcus now and the thought of it infuriated her beyond anything. Renata was useless, a complete and under waste of immortality as far as Jane was concerned. More importantly, the child vampire fumed quietly, Renata was in the way of what she wanted. Caius had promised her centuries ago that she would be on his right hand side when he took over the Volturi and destroyed Aro. What she didn't know, was that he had promised the same thing to both Chelsea and his own mate, but never had the intention of following through.

"Don't think I am unaware of your actions taken against Renata," Aro said from behind her and Jane spun around. "You will not use your power again unless I command you to. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master," Jane agreed easily and he frowned as he waved her away.

**:::::**

He looked up from the paper in front of him with a smile, chuckling as he reached out to the one begging for his attention. The whimpering groan sounded again as the animal inched closer, crawling toward him as he stared up at Giuseppe with his impossibly large brown eyes. Shaking his head, the man set down his charcoal pencil and moved the drawing pad out of his lap before patting his thigh. Sergeant barked as he sprang to his feet, his thick bushy tail wagging happily, and bounded into his lap.

"Have I been ignoring you, my friend?" Giuseppe asked and laughed when the dog barked and licked his face. "I'll take that as a yes. I suppose I could use a break. What would you prefer: a walk or a game of catch?"

Sergeant's tail thumped happily against Giuseppe's leg before the dog leapt off his lap and toward the toy box standing against the living room wall. Shaking his head as he stood from the floor, Giuseppe set his sketch pad and pencil on the desk behind him before moving to follow his faithful companion. The dog stilled, a low growl rolling from him and Giuseppe's attention turned to follow the direction his dog was facing. Stepping up to the front door as he cast his senses outward, he chuckled at the feel of a familiar vampire approaching.

"It's alright, boy. The man's a friend," he soothed Sergeant with a scratch behind the ear and opened the door. "Aro, it's been quite a while since you've graced my doorstep. Come inside."

"A dog?" Aro questioned as he stepped into the mansion, the door closing behind him.

"Leave Sergeant be," Giuseppe chuckled, "he's a good pet."

"Was he your idea," Aro asked casually, "or your human's?"

Giuseppe stiffened at Aro's words, his expression unreadable. "Mira will be one of us, her date is set."

"Of that I have no doubt," Aro said amused as he regarded the man he considered a dear friend. "Relax, it was not intended as any kind of threat."

"You _have_ changed," Giuseppe said to himself as he stared at Aro.

"Yes, I suppose I have," Aro nodded his agreement and watched as the dog stayed close to his master. "You said you a few preliminary designs worked up?"

"I do, yes." Giuseppe led Aro over to his desk, the black and white as well as colored sketches laid out for him to see. "You didn't mention her relation to Carlisle, aside from the colors."

"You always were quick to catch on," Aro mused and tapped the sketch in the center. "This one will do perfectly."

"You do realize the significance of that design?" Giuseppe asked with interest.

"Are you planning to interrogate me for information?" Aro asked, the easy camaraderie something that had always been between them.

"Considering what I've already learned from the tone of your request and the selected design?" Giuseppe asked as his brows rose high on his forehead. "Pretty sure I know everything there is, at least the basics."

"Oh do tell," Aro chuckled and motioned for Giuseppe to continue.

"Alright," the man grinned at the challenge. "She is young, unmated, though already promised. She has dark hair," he paused when Aro lifted a suspicious brow. "You wouldn't choose these colors to go with a flaxen or red headed girl. From the subject you gave me as a stand in, she has a good figure. And, based on the colors chosen, she is his daughter."

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?" Aro asked at once both amused and guarded by the man's unnervingly accurate observations.

"Only that she is important, to what specific end I don't know, but you requesting the dress personally," he grinned and crossed his arms. "Was she a baroness?"

"What?" Aro blinked as he stared at the man in confusion.

"The dress," Giuseppe said pointedly. "You don't ask for something like this to be made for a modern girl."

Aro chuckled to himself, but remained silent on the matter, neither confirming nor denying Giuseppe's observations. Smirking at his friend's impatient stare, Aro laughed and asked for the question he wished to ask.

"Would you at least tell me her name?" he asked when he realized that Aro wouldn't answer anything else about her.

"Angela," Aro said, her name coming forth in tones of reverence and endearment.

Giuseppe nodded silently, filing away his unspoken observations for later reference. He could see that she meant something to the man, could hear it in the tone of his voice, but he wasn't sure exactly what. Looking back at the design Aro had chosen, Giuseppe lifted it from his desk and studied the paper. The fabric would be difficult to come by for what he needed, but not impossible.

"Provided I can get the materials quickly enough, I should be able to have the dress completed within a fortnight," Giuseppe announced and looked up at Aro. "You do want the dress to be authentic, yes?"

"Yes. Not a recreation, it must be indistinguishable from an original garment of that era," he confirmed.

"Won't be a problem," Giuseppe assured him with a lopsided grin. "So, when will I be meeting her for final fittings?"

"That might be a bit difficult," Aro said. "The dress and Carlisle's clothing will need to be shipped to the United States."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I have my own private jet and it should be returning soon," he said with a thoughtful frown. "I'll let you know once everything's completed and arrange for transport."

"I'll stop by in two weeks," Aro said making it clear that he wasn't to be contacted directly.

"Is there anything I should be worried about?" Giuseppe asked him seriously and Aro smiled.

"Why nothing at all, dear Giuseppe," Aro said with animation and Giuseppe arched a brow.

"You'll forgive me if I call bullshit on that," he intoned dryly. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Aro nodded silently, a grateful smile tilting his lips and turned to the door. He hadn't forgotten their deal forged almost four centuries ago, and was forever thankful that the events preceding it hadn't cost him the man's friendship. Stepping out of the door and pulling it closed behind him, Aro listened to the sound of the surf as he thought of that time with regret. It had been Giuseppe's heart that had been broken, Caius' cruelty coming forth with all of the ancient man's bigotry fueling it. Giuseppe had been with the human woman for almost a year at the time that Caius found out and instead of talking with Aro or anyone else, Caius had acted.

Aro had been with Giuseppe at the time, the two men traveling together in order to find the exact fabrics desired for his new suit and Aro could still remember the smell when they returned to this ancient Cliffside mansion. Giuseppe's human love had been torn apart, her lifeless eyes staring up as her body lay scattered across the yard. Her blood had been drained first, Caius having fed on her, and it was the only thing that had kept the mess from being greater than it was. Giuseppe had been inconsolable, the man grieving the loss of the woman he loved and Aro had found himself enraged. Caius had stepped out from around the house then, telling Giuseppe that humans were for food only.

Aro could still remember the grating feel against his hands when he had struck Caius and sent him falling over the sixteen meter cliff to land among the rocks below. His brother, of course, hadn't been injured, but Aro's message had been clear. He had promised Giuseppe at that time that he would forever be safe from the Volturi. He need never worry about them coming after him or hunting him, for Aro had known that Giuseppe had always been a peaceful man. He had never broken their laws and it surprised him now to realize that he had come to regard Giuseppe in the same manner that he had Carlisle. The only difference between them, he realized as he looked back at the house, was their diet.

"Was there something else?" Giuseppe asked as he stepped outside with Sergeant trotting beside him.

"No," Aro said at once. "Lost in thought," he offered and Giuseppe chuckled.

"Been there a time or two myself. The sea is good for that," taking the tennis ball from the dog's mouth, he gave it a gentle toss and watched as the animal ran after it. "Something's changing, isn't it?" he asked as Sergeant came racing back with the toy and dropped it at his feet. "Is it anything I need to worry about?" he asked when Aro remained silent, bending down to retrieve the ball and throw it again.

"I don't think so," Aro said after a moment, watching as his friend played catch with the dog.

"You'll let me know if there is?" he asked watching as his friend nodded. "That's good enough then. I've called Francesca over in Milan. She thinks she still has the original fabric needed. She saved a lot from back then. I should have the materials I need by Monday. I'll start working on the dress then."

"Giuseppe," Aro's voice trailed off before his thoughts demanded to be spoken again and he sighed. "After all that happened back then, you never once turned against us – me. Why?"

Giuseppe stiffened for a brief moment as he thought of his dead lover. "It's not who I am," he said as he relaxed once more. "If I fight, it's because there's no other option. You didn't command her death; you were as shocked as I was. To blame you for someone else's actions when you didn't order them to do so, would be unfair."

They were enough alike to almost be brothers, Aro thought. He stayed a few moments more, watching as Giuseppe played with his animal companion. Why he hadn't noticed it before, he would never know, but it was then that Aro realized that Caius' favorite subjects to torture and torment were those who were the most peaceful. Stepping toward his car, he withdrew the keys from his pocket and slipped behind the wheel. He didn't need the vehicle, but had purchased it a few years ago in a bout of frivolity. The gunmetal grey Ferrari Spyder growled and purred when he turned the key, the engine rumbling almost erotically as shifted into drive and he turned away from the house.

**:::::**

Her onyx eyes were wide, her face a mask of carefully controlled panic as she pressed her back against the corner of the wall. She shook her head as he neared, her body trembling despite her efforts to keep still and searched for an opening with which to escape. Pressing her lips together and turning her face away from the goblet he was offering her, Renata saw the opening appear and darted for the door. She didn't see him move, didn't hear him set down the chalice on the table, but cried out when he seized her from behind.

Her arms were trapped under his, his iron grip too strong for her to break and just as she was ready to kick out, she found they were suddenly sitting on the floor. He was wrapped around her completely, her arms and legs pinned. His hold on her was secure, and while being restrained was frightening her, she began to feel herself calm. The fight was leaving her, though she never stopped trembling and the man holding her knew that if she were human her face would be awash with tears. He kept her wrapped up tight in his arms, holding her close as he growled low and sung to her softly.

Aro had only told him of the incident with Santiago, the way her legs had been broken, and the most prevalent incident of Jane. Rubbing her arm as she finally relaxed in his hold, Marcus shifted them and held her more comfortably on his lap. He knew she was tired, with as long as she had gone without feeding before and the little she had consumed that first night, she would be nowhere near her full strength. Her panic continued to drain her emotionally and mentally? Marcus sighed quietly as he turned his head and rested his cheek on her hair. He was fairly certain that she was in a full state of exhaustion. It was as close as their kind could get to feeling a human's need for sleep.

Reaching out for the goblet that sat on the table next to them, he brought it close to her and felt Renata stiffen in his arms. She didn't fight him or try to run and he took both as a sign of some kind of progress. He spoke to her softly as he brought the goblet closer and encouraged her to take it from his hand. Her trembling returned and she shook her head, but he was grateful when she didn't try to run. Bringing the cup to his lips and taking a small sip, he tasted the blood as she watched him, and then offered it once more to her.

She was shaking as she finally reached out for it, her hand pulling back twice before she took the chalice from him. He kissed her hair, holding her close as he watched her and encouraged her to drink. She leaned against him, both of her hands holding the goblet as she blinked slowly and stared at it. She thought of closing her eyes, just slipping away into stillness and leaving this world behind. She'd heard of vampires doing so before, they looked like they were sleeping, when in truth they were too far away from the world mentally to be touched by it.

"Stay with me," Marcus spoke to her softly, having seen her eyes droop and knowing exactly the kind of oblivion she was seeking. "You're safe here, Renata. I promise you that."

He looked up from her at the nearly silent sound of his main chambers door being open and closed, grateful that Aro knew to make as little noise as possible. Marcus was certain that if Renata had actually heard the door opening she would have tried once more to bolt. He watched as Aro moved toward them silently, his expression one of concern as soon as he caught sight of them. She was beginning to slip away, Marcus could feel it, and he unconsciously tightened his arms around her in response. Aro knelt next to them, his hand reaching out to tuck Renata's hair behind her ear.

"Has she fed at all?" Aro asked softly, his hand brushing against her cheek though he blocked his talent from her.

"No," Marcus said heavily. "It's been a fight to get her this far. Her terror is…beyond description," he said after a moment, no words seeming to be enough to define what she was going through. "No, stay with me," he said, his attention turning down to Renata when she began to grow heavy in his arms. "Renata, don't slip away. Stay here with us, you need to feed."

"I've half a mind to send her to Angela," Aro said softly, his frown deepening when he realized Renata wasn't hearing them. "Come, my dear," he gently folded his hand over hers and tipped the goblet to her lips. "Drink for us, just a little."

The movement seemed to startle her and Renata looked up with wide eyes, her trembling beginning again when she found Aro sitting with them on the floor. He comforted her gently, his voice kept low and soothing as he encouraged her to drink. She didn't want to be hurt again, she was so afraid of being hurt. Kissing her forehead as he encouraged her to drink, Aro waited patiently and watched as she finally tipped the goblet under her own power. Her first sip was tentative, her hands shaking as her eyes darted between them both and the cup in her hands.

Part of her expected to be struck, to be thrown across the room as Caius had done to her so many times while they were gone, but it never happened. Their motions were encouraging, comforting, and so she slowly took another sip. Her comfort grew and on the third time she titled the goblet, she drained it of the blood inside. Aro's smile greeted her when she lowered the silver chalice, Marcus' hand toying with her hair as they both waited to see if she would ask for more. She didn't though, her voice remaining trapped within her and Aro reached out for the pitcher standing on the table behind him. Filling her goblet once more, he set the pitcher down on the floor next to him and encouraged her to drink.

It was nearly an hour later that the pitcher was finally emptied, but Aro could see that she needed more. Lifting the pitcher and accepting the empty goblet from her, he stood and moved to leave Marcus' chambers. He understood in that moment why Marcus had chosen to retrieve the pitcher of blood himself that first night, there was no one they would trust to do it. It was a simple task, but one neither of them were willing to leave to chance. Renata had been too hurt already and they would not allow anyone to add to it.

It didn't take him long to make the journey to the dungeons and, after selecting three humans, he drained them each of their blood. Setting the filled pitchers on a gleaming silver tray, he lifted it and made his way back to Marcus' chambers. He would rather Renata drink in excess, to a point where she felt fattened by the blood, than for her to not have enough. There was a part of him that wished fervently for Carlisle or Esme's aid. He had seen them both with Angela and they both took such a natural ease to the comfort and care of others. Renata needed that right now and even with as much effort as he and Marcus would continue to take to make her feel safe, he wondered if it would truly make a difference.

He rejoined them moments later and found that Marcus had moved to the comfort of the couch. Renata was still held in his lap, still enfolded in his arms and Aro couldn't hide the endearment he felt. It was his eyes that showed how he felt, the emotion held within his crimson orbs as he looked upon them. He blamed himself for her pain, cursing himself for not having noticed before how she was being constantly tormented by Jane. Sighing silently as he set the tray down on the low table in front of the couch, he lifted her goblet and filled it with the rich warm blood.

"Drink as much as you like," he encouraged Renata as he handed her the chalice.

"There are no other cups," she said, her voice only loud enough for them to hear.

"It's all for you," he told her with a smile as he sat down and angled himself toward her. "Drink, my dear," he encouraged with a slight nod.

He watched as Marcus held her close, his hand rubbing over her arm and shoulder as she leaned against him. His brother seemed content to keep Renata in his arms and Aro wondered if either of them would have seen to her care in such a manner if it hadn't been for meeting Angela. He refilled her goblet each time she emptied it and felt pleased as he watched her dark eyes lighten to a brilliant crimson. There was still one pitcher left when she set her cup aside and he smiled when she allowed Marcus to tuck her against his shoulder. He wasn't sure when her confidence would return or when she would feel safe enough to feed on her own, but for now he was content to keep her close. At first, he had returned with the intention of making Volterra a safe place for his wife, but now he felt the need to make it safe for Renata as well. Without ever intending to, she had given him a purpose.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Renata looked up as she stepped into the main hall, the area quiet and deserted. She had finally felt comfortable enough to leave Marcus' chambers on her own, though it was still difficult for her accept the blood they brought her. She had tried so many times to push down the fear, but each time Aro or Marcus advised her to feed it inspired such a fire of panic in her that she couldn't see or hear anything. Closing her eyes as she stepped up to the window, she feared that she was wearing their patience thin. They never said anything, never acted as though she upset them, but how could they not be upset by her responses?

She looked back at the fire pit built into the floor and stared into the nearly waist high flames. The pit itself was large, big enough that she imagined an apartment could fit inside it and wondered what the humans, who had originally constructed the castle, would have used it for. She didn't hear the footsteps as someone stepped inside the hall or the door being closed, her attention too focused on the flames. Crying out when her hair was gripped from behind and her head yanked back, she looked up at Caius in fear. She raised her shield without thought and heard him growl as his hand released her hair involuntarily.

Renata moved away from him only to be sized from behind and looked back to see Santiago was the one holding her. She struggled to get away, tried to raise her shield again only to be distracted from it when Caius struck her cheek with the back of his hand. He growled low to her as he reminded her that to use her shield against any of the masters was considered insubordination and punishable by death. Helplessness filled her heart then, fear causing her to tremble as Caius gripped her throat and lifted her off the ground.

Her hands went to his arm as she tried frantically to release his hold on her, but his grip was too strong to fight. He spoke to her, demanding to know what she had said to Aro, and snarling when she denied saying anything. She hadn't spoken a word to him; she denied and looked back when Caius cast his gaze behind her. Santiago was at her back in an instant, one large hand gripping her side and she groaned when he pressed one finger in slowly, deliberately. She cried out in pain when the vampire snapped her rib and Caius again demanded answers from her, but she had none to give.

"Feeling safe, are we?" Caius sneered as he walked with her held aloft in the air and she struggled harder when she felt the heat of the fire behind her.

"No please!" Renata begged, whimpering as each breath drawn in to speak cause fire to lance through her side. "I didn't say anything!"

He jerked her away from the fire then and she believed he was going to release her until the moment she felt Santiago's hand on her side again. She cried out as he broke two more of her ribs and struggled as she was brought back to the edges of the fire pit. He toyed with her then, taking her away from the fire only to bring her back to the very edges of it once more. He walked around the pit with her dangling her closer to the flames each time as he teased the notion of her destruction. He was still holding her over the edge of the flames when she heard him declare that he was growing bored and felt his grip loosen.

She was terrified that he meant to burn her and shook uncontrollably when he brought her face close to his. He snarled to her then, his voice low and quiet as he told her that if she went anywhere near the dungeons he would let Jane test her theory. She couldn't stop the instinctive question that came from her, and the slow evil grin that twisted Caius' lips terrified her beyond measure.

"Jane is almost certain that she could kill someone with her power if she used it long enough at its full strength. She's just looking for a test subject," he told her.

Her eyes grew impossibly wide at his words and just when she thought he was going to hold her back over the fire, he flung her across the room instead. Her back collided with the far wall and she grunted as she fell to the cold stone floor. She scrambled to her feet, hoping to run clear of them when Santiago appeared in front of her and grasped her left hand. She shook her head frantically as he wrapped his fingers around her hand knowing what he intended to do, but unable to stop him. His grip tightened slowly, his fingers crushing her hand and she cried out as each of the bones in her palm snapped one by one like so many twigs.

"You were warned what would happen if you fed from the dungeons," Caius told her and kicked out, his boot connecting with her stomach as she was sent flying through the air again. "Come, Santiago, I feel like hunting tonight."

Renata stayed on the floor until they left, every muscle trembling as she sobbed quietly. She stood up then, her right hand cradling her left and knew that she would have to set the bones in order for any healing to occur. Moving toward the door, she did her best to stay in the shadows until the hallway was clear, but instead of moving back to her room or Marcus', she fled to the library instead. There was a place in the very back corner where someone had built a false wall. She was certain that no one else knew of it, but the space was just large enough for her to hide inside of and close the wall again.

She couldn't stand the thought of being out in the open or being seen. The tightly enclosed space brought her a sense of security even as the way she had to fold herself to fit made her ribs burn like someone was holding a torch to her side. Closing her eyes, she tried to stop crying. She tried to straighten out the bones in her hand only to find that she wasn't strong enough to bear the pain of setting her own breaks. Her broken hand fell limply into her lap as she shook with the fear she couldn't suppress and let her head fall to her bent knees.

**:::::**

Narrowing his eyes as he looked at the design in front of him, Giuseppe ran his hand through his thick hair and released a frustrated sigh. The sketch he had done was propped up on the small metal easel sitting on his desk. The transparent paper in front of him that he used for designing the panel pieces was under his hands, but no amount of work had been able to transfer the sketch into a workable pattern. Part of him was ready to give up, at least for a few hours, while another part of him stubbornly refused to stop working. Looking to his side when Sergeant appeared next to him, his large paws on the desk, Giuseppe rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Am I ignoring you again?" he asked the dog.

He watched as Sergeant gave a soft groaning whimper, the dog laying his head down on his paws. Large brown eyes turned up to him, the look in them pleading and lonely. He couldn't help the chuckle that sounded from him even as he tried to effect a stern expression. The dog whimpered once more as he nudged Giuseppe's hand with his nose and the vampire shook his head as he laughed.

"You learned that from Mira," he told his pet and waved his hand toward the other side of the room. "Go gather your toy," he said and Sergeant sprang up to lick his cheek. "Yes, yes, I love you, too you great beast. Now go get your toy."

Sergeant barked as he leapt away from the desk, his paws skittering across the floor as he ran over the marble surface. Smiling when the sound of Mirabella's ringtone began to play, he slipped his hand into his pocket only to find it empty. Lifting the papers strewn across his desk, he found the device buried under layers of scraped pattern sketches. He answered her call on the third ring and smiled when she spoke his name.

"Hello, sweet Mira," he greeted her and frowned when he heard her sniffle. "Tell me?" he asked and sat down on the floor, his desk chair piled with sample bits of fabrics to be used for the corset.

Sergeant came trotting back with a ball in his mouth, the dog tipping his head to the side when he saw his master and Giuseppe patted his thigh. He listen to his human love sniffle as she tried to speak, her words broken and voice muffled by her tears. He spoke to her softly then, trying to calm her and wished that he could be with her. His hand went to Sergeant's head when the dog curled up next to him, his fingers stroking the animal's soft fur. He knew the time difference, his eyes closing as he calculated how late it was for her.

"Mira, tell me what's happened? It's something more than just seeing her again, isn't it?" he asked and waited patiently as she gathered her thoughts enough to speak.

"Mom's bad," she said softly, her voice choked. "I knew she would be," she offered and gave a soft sob as she tried to control her emotions enough to speak. "She didn't…" he could hear the clattering of her earrings against the phone and knew that she was shaking her head. "She didn't know who I was. I told her my name and I tried to remind her, but she just…"

She broke down then, her tears coming in earnest as she sobbed into the phone. The sound was muffled and he knew that she had her hand over her mouth. He had seen her cover her mouth a dozen times when she cried before, as though she thought it would somehow keep her grief from spilling out. It never worked though. She would cry harder each time she tried to silence her tears and when she had been with him, he would wrap her in his arms and let her cry until she fell asleep. She needed that now, needed him, and it tore at his heart that he couldn't be with her.

"Dad…Daddy, he was," her words were falling apart as she spoke them, fear and grief coloring her tone in shades that bruised his silent heart. "He was coming home from work. He doesn't even want to work anymore, but the insurance stopped paying the hospital bills. He never told me that. He never told me how bad it was."

Giuseppe waited for her to speak again, asking once as to the hospital name and filing it away in his memory for later. He had more money than he would ever need and the last thing he wanted was for her or her family to be worrying about how they would be taking care of the bills. She tried to speak a few more times, her voice catching and breaking on the words enough to make them completely unintelligible. She cried harder when he began to recite her favorite Longfellow poem, his voice and compassion at once both breaking and mending her tortured heart.

"Dad had a heart attack," she finally said in a rush, the words bursting forth from her in waves of pain. "He's in surgery right now, but they don't think he's going to make it."

"Oh, Mira," he mourned her sorrow as he spoke her name. "I'm in the middle of a project right now, but I can be there. You say the word and I'll come to Hilton Head."

"No," she choked on the word and he heard the clattering of her earrings again. "No, I have to take care of them now."

"What about the rest of your family?" he asked her. "Your sister and you have a brother, don't you? Connor," he spoke the name he had heard her mumble in her sleep more than once. "Mira?" he spoke her name when she failed to respond.

"How do you know about Connor?" she asked him, her voice sounding odd.

"You talked about him in your sleep," he told her, his confusion clear in his voice. "Mira, what's wrong?"

"Connor's not my brother," she told him slowly, her voice somehow devoid of emotion even as it seemed to be drowning in her grief.

"Then who is he?" Giuseppe pushed for more gently.

"Connor was my nephew," she told him, her voice beginning to tremble.

"_Was_?" he asked and heard the phone change hands. "Hello?"

"Giuseppe?"

It was Mirabella's sister who came on the line, her voice subdued. He could still hear Mirabella crying the background and spoke his confusion. He listened as she told him that Connor had been her son, her first born. He was three when they lost him. Mira, having been only fourteen at the time, had been left to watch him while her sister and her husband went out for the night. He had been fine, running nothing more than a mild fever and had already been given medicine when the couple left. Mirabella had held him, Connor only quieting down enough to sleep when wrapped in someone's arms.

It had taken almost an hour for him to fall asleep. Mirabella had continued to hold him for a few hours longer before laying him down in his room. He had stayed quiet and she had thought he would sleep throughout the night.

"When she went to check on him, he wasn't moving and she couldn't get any kind of response from him," Veronica told him. "I never blamed her, but Mira never forgave herself. It was the first time she had been left with him. The doctor later told us that what we – my husband and I – had thought was a cold was the measles instead. I never thought they were fatal."

"Even the common cold used to be fatal," he thought aloud, his voice soft.

"Yes, I suppose it did," she answered. "Mirabella's sleeping now," she said and Giuseppe nodded without speaking. "Room three twenty-one," she supplied and he gave a sound of confusion. "Mama's room at the hospital," she explained. "Bella's phone is about to die."

"Thank you, I'll remember that," he told her.

They spoke for a few minutes longer and he smiled when she wished him a good night. He looked down at his phone before reaching into his back pocket and retrieving the slim black leather wallet. He looked through the credit cards held within and selected the one that was issued by the American branch of the international bank he used when traveling. Turning the card over, he dialed the twenty-four hour customer service line and navigated through the automated system as he checked his balance before leaving an approval for a large withdrawal.

Dialing the hospital directly, he asked to be connected to someone within their billing department. He didn't have an account number; he told the woman he spoke with, offering her only the names of the patients instead. He waited as he was connected and arched a brow at the haggard sounding woman who answered. She apologized quickly, before he'd even had a chance to introduce himself and the sound of his chuckle made her fall silent. He spoke to her as he asked if she was alright and heard her clear her voice before giving a stuttering reply.

He offered the names of Mira's parents, telling the woman that he only knew the room number for her mother. Her father was still in surgery and his brows furrowed in a mix of amusement and confusion when she asked how she could help him. He thought the answer would have been obvious, but perhaps it wasn't as clear to her as it was to him.

"I'd like to cover their medical bills. I have a credit card number or a bank number, whichever you need," he told her and frowned when she fell silent once more.

"You want to _pay_ their bills?" she asked him slowly and he hummed in agreement. "That's over twenty five thousand dollars."

"Hmm," he frowned. "There will of course be after care for her father yes?" he asked and nodded to himself. "Anything the insurance hasn't or won't cover, charge to my account. If possible I would like that prorated," he said and she asked him for clarification. "Whatever out of pocket expenses her family has paid, return it to them and charge it to me instead. I can afford it."

"Sir, that's nearly a half million dollars!" she squeaked the reply. "We can set up payment plans if you're sure."

"No need for a plan," he assured her. "And I'm very certain. You'll be able to take the money out immediately; my bank has already been informed that there will be a sizable withdrawal."

She took down the information for his card, the billing address next and verified all the numbers before asking for his name. He pulled back and looked at his phone, almost certain that he had heard hers fall to the ground. He waited as he listened to the sound of the fumbling; her voice muffled as she spoke to someone next to her and arched a brow when she finally came back to the call.

"Giuseppe Napeloni," she repeated his name. "As in the Italian fashion designer?" she asked.

"Yes," he affirmed and she grew silent. "Hello?"

She stumbled over her words as she confirmed the information, barely able to keep from telling him how much she admired his work. Copying down the confirmation number from her, he asked if she knew of any local restaurants that would still be open considering the time it was there. She offered him a name of a local steakhouse and he spoke his thanks before ending the call. Calling the number she had given him, he asked to speak with the manager and was answered by the head chef instead. It took only moments for him to explain his request, Mirabella's family needing food that would be better than what the hospital cafeteria or vending machines served.

He nodded as he spoke with the man, laughing when he learned the chef was from Verona and they were able to converse in Italian. It didn't take long for the orders to be secured and once the chef promised to have them delivered to the hospital, Giuseppe asked what it would take to have food delivered to them each night for the remaining week. He laughed outright when the chef told him it would be a minimal charge to his card if there was a way for him to send a bag to his wife.

"Which design does she favor?" Giuseppe asked and smiled as he looked at the glass cabinet behind his desk. "I don't think that will be a problem. It should arrive next week and will have instructions on how to register the GPS chip inside the handle."

There wasn't much that he could for Mira specifically from his home in Italy, but these two small things would have to be enough. Standing from the floor, he moved to the cabinet and withdrew the purse in question. The lambskin was brushed until its softness rivaled that of silk, the platinum and rose gold accents adding color and just the right amount of flare. It had been a prototype and as he looked at it, he knew that this one was better than the rest because he had hand stitched it himself. He would need to make a few modifications before shipping it, but he was pleased with the piece. Setting it back on the shelf, he closed and locked the glass cabinet before turning to the dog behind him.

His faithful companion was waiting for him, the yellow tennis ball gripped in his jaws. Giuseppe laughed when the dog barked, the ball being mashed by his teeth, and shook his head. Patting his thigh as he moved passed the animal, he led his pet outside and took comfort in the seclusion that allowed him to enjoy the sun. A few hours of relaxation were what he needed and then he would be able to finish the work he had begun.

**:::::**

Aro looked up from the book in his hands when Marcus stepped into the room and frowned at the look on his brother's face. The taller man cast his eyes around the stone walls as he searched for something only to turn away when he didn't find it. Setting the book down, Aro stood from his seat and called his name as he asked his brother for an explanation. Looking around them to make doubly certain they were alone, Marcus stepped closer to Aro and lowered his voice as he told him that Renata was missing.

"She left my chambers over six hours ago," he said, unable to hide his concern. "I expected her to return, but she hasn't."

"Perhaps she returned to her own chambers," Aro offered and watched Marcus shake his head.

"I checked there first. I haven't been able to find her anywhere. You and I both know that she still doesn't feel safe on her own," he reminded Aro and watched his brother frown. "And there is no chance she would have gone to the gardens, not after what happened the last time she tried to leave the castle."

Aro frowned as he considered other places that Renata may have taken refuge at, but couldn't find an answer. Her memories from the time that they were gone had been so full of fear and torment that he wasn't certain she would truly find any one place to be a comfort to her. He looked up as the door opened again and saw Demetri enter the room. His face held his usual carefree expression, his eyes glancing around the room before he nodded to the masters. He was turning to leave when Aro called him forth and asked if he had seen Renata.

"A few hours ago," Demetri replied. "I saw her go into the library, but when I went in to look for her, she wasn't there."

"I must ask you, Demetri," Aro said, his expression growing serious. "Do you know what transpired while we were away?"

"You mean with Renata?" he asked as his eyes hardened and the muscle in his jaw ticked. "Yes."

Aro held out his hand and Demetri hesitated only a moment before stepping forward and placing his palm in Aro's. He was careful to keep his grip light as he read the guard, his anger boiling to the surface only to be gentled by the feel of Angela's talent brushing against his spirit. Renata had not been present when their absence had been discovered; she had been where she spent most of her free time – the gardens. Demetri had been the one Caius commanded to bring her forth and he truly hadn't thought anything of the order until he had returned with her.

Aro watched through Giuseppe's memories as Caius wasted no time in attacking Renata, warning any who might have thought of interfering that any such action would be insubordination. Questioning the masters, Caius had warned, was punishable by death and he promised to make it slow. She had been hit, tossed across the throne room and slammed into a wall for her refusal to answer a question that she had no knowledge of. He had turned to Santiago after throwing her into a wall for the third time and it was then that the dark vampire brought forth Jane and Alec.

"You tried to protect her," Aro said as he watched the memories play and saw what had happened as a result. "Should Caius or anyone other than Marcus or myself ask you to find Renata again, you are to tell them that you are unable to."

Demetri nodded quietly, his arm dropping slowly to his side when Aro released his hand. He had tried to protect Renata, but only once and only after her legs had been broken. The abuse had gone on for months before and after that occurrence. Aro had been able to see from Demetri's thoughts that he had wanted to do more for her on several occasions, but his fear of Caius held him back. He wasn't sure if he could truly trust Demetri not to do something Caius asked simply due to his fear of the man. Turning to glance at Marcus, he returned his attention to Demetri before asking the man to tack Renata.

Demetri nodded once before closing his eyes and giving himself over to his talent. Each person that he knew or had come into contact with held a certain resonance for him. He had heard it described by someone else to be the 'flavor' of someone's thoughts, but he thought of it more like piano wires or harp strings. He could feel the vibrations as though they were string being plucked was directly connected to him. Opening his eyes as soon as he felt the vibrations for Renata's mind, he nodded to Aro and turned.

He led them out of the main chamber and down the hall, his brow furrowed as he tried to hold onto Renata's signal. It felt weak to him, somehow tainted and he didn't understand why. He quickened his steps as he came to the library and opened the doors. He waited for Aro and Marcus, watching curiously as Marcus closed the doors tightly before he continued on his search for the missing guard. Demetri's frown deepened as he walked through the aisles and stacks of books, his confusing growing as his talent told him Renata was in this room, but he was unable to find her.

"Demetri?" Aro questioned the guard and saw the confusion written upon his face.

"She's here," he insisted. "I know that she's here, but I don't see her anywhere."

"Thank you," Aro said and nodded to the doors, dismissing Demetri.

The guard nodded once before turning on his heel and stepping toward the door. He didn't understand why his talent would lead him here if Renata were not in the library, but it seemed to make sense to Aro. He had his hand on the door when he turned back and looked toward the ancient masters again. They had both moved toward the wall, their steps silent, and he watched as Marcus looked back at him. One dark brow was arched, his crimson eyes moving from Demetri to the door and then back again. Nodding only once, Demetri slipped from the room.

"He is gone," Marcus said needlessly as the doors were closed and locked once more.

"There is no one else in here?" Aro asked and Marcus shook his head silently. "There is a false wall," he informed Marcus as he knelt down and pushed slowly against the stone until he was able to move it in and slide it back. "Renata?" he called to the woman folded inside the dark place.

Aro reached out to touch her shoulder and then her cheek, but received no response. His brow furrowed as he opened his talent to her only to find darkness instead. Her eyes were open, but it was though she simply wasn't there. He reached inside the small space carefully, one arm going around her back as his other hand went to her side and it was then that she responded. Her hand lashed out, her eyes unseeing as she tried to move further into the tiny space that she had sought safety from.

"Renata," Aro called her name as he hoped to get her attention. "Renata, look at me," he commanded and cupped her face in his hands.

She tried to free herself from his hold, crying out when she twisted her injured hand and groaning as her elbow brushed against her broken ribs. It was then that Aro saw her memories, the images burning bright inside his mind as she was terrorized by Caius and Santiago. He shushed her gently, promising her that he would keep her safe and gently extracted her from the tiny hidden space in the wall. He spoke to her as he moved her, telling her things of no consequence, bits of stories or poems that came to mind. His words weren't important, he simply needed her to listen to his voice and hold on to the knowledge that she was safe.

As he turned her and began to unfold her from the cramped position she'd been in, Marcus helped to steady her as they laid her out on the floor between them. Her eyes looked up fearfully and both men knew that she was crying, though she would never have any tears to shed. Bending down over her, Aro kissed her brow and spoke to Marcus softly. The worked quickly to reset her bones and waited for her venom to knit them back together. They each had hand on either side of her face, Marcus' hand still as Aro chaffed her temple with his thumb.

Their touch offered her comfort as Aro's voice reminded her that she was safe. Aro was gentle as he smoothed his fingertips over the back of her hand and her side, confirming that her bones had healed before nodding to Marcus. He watched as his brother lifted her into his arms, cradling her to his chest as she rested her head against his shoulder. Marcus stood with Renata in his hold. There was fury in his eyes, anger for how she had been brutalized yet again by Caius and he nodded when Aro told Renata that she would be staying with Marcus until further notice.

Both men knew that what had happened that day would only make her terrified of feeding again. Aro worried that they may never get her to feed without fear again and thought once more about sending her to Angela. She didn't just need to be healed, he thought, she needed to be somewhere safe that was as far away from Caius as he could get her. He kissed Renata's temple before nodding to his brother and watching as he walked toward the door. Sulpicia and Marcus were the only two who knew the truth, even Renata herself hadn't learned how Aro saw her – that he thought of her more as a daughter than he did a simple guard.

He walked with them into the hall, following them until they reached the end. He waited as his brother turned and carried Renata down toward the private chambers, before he turned in the opposite direction and moved to the banquet hall. He searched for Caius, not finding sight of him or Santiago. Aro moved through the halls, searching the throne room and the hall containing the ancient weapons his sadistic brother had collected over the millennia. He had never cared to spend too much time studying them before, but as Aro looked around the room, he found that each of Caius' most prized weapons were in truth tools of torture.

There were swords, maces, and lances, but the weapons Caius kept polished and in the best condition possible were multi-tailed whips with tiny metal hooks in the ends of the braided leather, a _pear of anguish_ – a metal pear-shaped object meant to be forced into someone's mouth and expanded until their jaw and skull were shattered. They were more tools, more…toys as he knew his brother would think of them and the rage Aro felt was brighter than any fire he had known. Caius' only saving grace at that moment was that he had not used any of the tools on Renata. Turning to one of the servants cleaning and dusting a great-sword, Aro commanded them to clear the room.

"I have only just started cleaning, Master," the servant said, his eyes down cast.

"I do not want you to _clean_ the room," Aro said, his anger coloring his words in sarcastic tones. "I want you to _clear_ it. All of these things, all of these weapons, remove them."

"Master?" the servant met his gaze with wide eyes.

"I want this room emptied at once. Find a museum or university that wants the weapons, or throw them in the street, but I want them gone," he commanded before turning and leaving the room.

Caius would learn one way or another that to mess with Renata was to deal with him. He would not allow her torment to go on, he would not allow her to be brutalized or even touched by Caius again. Leaving the room, he made his way toward the living quarters and met Demetri in the hall, he still wasn't certain whether he trusted the guard or not, but commanded him to protect Renata should he see her anywhere alone. He was too guard her as he would guard himself or Marcus, Aro commanded the man and moved only once he had secured Demetri's promise.

Aro's moved with purpose, his steps graceful and silent as always, but there was a power in his step that made him seem dangerous. It didn't take him long to reach Marcus' chamber, slipping inside just as his phone began to ring. He took the device from his pocket, Felix's name on the ID and answered the call as he remained in the main area of his brother's chambers. He greeted Felix with a steady voice, the person on the other end of the call not the one he had been expecting.

"Angela?" he spoke her name gently as he moved to sit down in the arm chair by the silent fireplace. "Did you steal Felix's phone again?" he chuckled.

"No, he knows I took it," she told him and he could hear the exhaustion she was trying to hide. "What's wrong? I've felt….I don't know….I just….what's wrong?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about, little one," he assured her. "Things are just a bit difficult here right now."

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked and he heard Felix's voice in the background.

"You're doing it," he promised her. "Why don't you let me talk to Felix for a moment?"

"M'kay," she said and he heard the phone change hands.

"Felix?" Aro spoke the man's name and received an affirmative reply. "How is she?"

"Weakening," he replied, his voice low as he held the human girl tucked under his arm. "She's falling asleep more often lately and staying asleep longer." He chuckled softly as he looked down at Angela. "I'm pretty sure that she thinks of our kind as teddy bears. She's always cuddled against one of us and seems to only find peaceful sleep when she wrapped in our arms."

"She'll never see as evil," Aro told him. "Of all the times that she welcomed me into her mind, I could see that she would never view our kind as other humans do."

"How is everything there?" Felix asked as he looked down at the girl who was now sleeping under his arm.

"Difficult," Aro answered, his voice tight with displeasure.

"That's it?" Felix asked with disbelief.

"That's all I'm willing to say at this moment. Felix," Aro looked up as Marcus stepped into the room. "Guard them well. Protect Angela, allow nothing to harm her."

He disconnected the call before Felix could reply and looked up at Marcus. He asked his brother how Renata was and saw the tight set of the man's jaw. She was still terrified, Marcus told him. She wouldn't go near the blood he had brought for her, wouldn't stay in the same room that it was in and he had been forced to move the pitcher out onto the balcony in order to calm her. She was resting now, he told Aro, lying on the bed with a bit of music playing and a book left by her side. She wasn't reading it though, Marcus revealed. Once he had been able to calm her, she had simply become still and grew less responsive as more time passed by.

Aro nodded before standing from the chair and moving to the bedroom. He slipped into the room quietly, toeing out of his shoes before lying on the bed next to Renata. He gathered her close in his arms, holding her as he had once held Angela and petting her dark hair as he spoke to her softly. He promised her that she would be safe, promised her that he would allow no one else to bring harm to her and, in a moment of horrified regret, begged her forgiveness. He had never known the kind of danger he had been subjecting her to when he had left Volterra all those months ago.

It was Angela's gift that allowed him to remember the man he had once been while human, his true self hidden beneath centuries of pain and fear. He was once again a man who ruled with kindness and thought rather than the iron fist of terror. He held her close and smiled sadly when her hand moved, her arm shifting and sliding over his chest as she hesitantly took the comfort he was offering her. The bed shifted behind her as Marcus lay down and he wrapped his arm over her. The ancient men held her between them as they gave her the comfort of know that they would protect her from all they could. Whatever needed to be done to make her feel safe once more, he would do and so would Marcus. Lifting the book that lay next to him from the bed, Aro opened it and began to read.


End file.
